L’Aquila Rugby, the winners of the five championships reunited: parade of champions between emotion and irony

L’Aquila Rugby, thirty years after the last championship – it was 1994 – the champions of the five black and green championships are meeting.

Hugs, smiles, never forgotten nicknames, good-natured teasing and even some emotional tears, remembering who passed the ball. On the green lawn of the Magione Papale, a meeting was staged that had been thought about and desired for a long time Gino Troianigeneral manager of the Polisportiva L’Aquila Rugby as well as Italian champion in 1994, as frommunicipal administration led by mayor Biondi, present on stage for the awards ceremony, and who immediately supported (with an agenda whose first signatory was councilor Livio Vittorini) the idea of ​​a week entirely dedicated to the thirtieth anniversary of the historic scudetto won against Berlusconi’s Milan.

When it comes to the oval ball, L’Aquila responds presently: and the many champions of the past have met again after years. For some, thirty years have actually passed.
“The eyes are the same, but you realize that you are changing, you are getting older. Lots of hugs, lots of emotion, lots of people: it was wonderful to bring everyone together. It’s something you carry with you throughout your life,” she says to our microphones Wim Visser, international rugby champion who sealed the 1994 championship. “I was at L’Aquila until 1996: for me it was a fantastic experience, never forgotten. What do I remember? That I had fewer aches and pains, certainly,” he jokes.
“It was an incredible final, against Berlusconi’s Milan which was in fact the Italian national team, with two foreign Australians. A fantastic match, we played for the black and green colors and for the city of L’Aquila. That year we each played for each other, we were united, there was an incredible brotherhood in the team. And then the preparation with Mascioletti and the prof Isaia (editor’s note: Di Cesare) have changed our mentality.”

Rob Louw, another legend of international rugby, he has a black and green heart. So much so to specify: “I don’t speak Italian, I speak L’Aquila. Ski, ski! What do you want to do, buddy! ” He signed the third championship for L’Aquila Rugby, the one in ’81. A South African in the midst of an all-L’Aquila team: and he feels at home in L’Aquila: “It’s my second home, we also returned last year with my family, to ski. Too bad there was no snow this year! ” For Louw, time has never stopped. “L’Aquila is in my heart and rugby is part of this city. Today there are over 200 players in the youth team, and the Italian national team is also playing very well: let’s hope it continues like this!”

In 1994 there was also Giulio Morelli, also said Morelli IV: yes, because his is a family of rugby players who, moreover, all have the G in their names. From there, the number IV to indicate him, the youngest of the family. “Georgethe current vice president, then the brothers Giancarlo, Gianluca and finally me: the fourth, in fact, of the Morelli family.
This meeting was very beautiful. What I was thinking yesterday is that this week I’m reliving what I experienced 30 years ago: today I went to work but with difficulty, because I was getting back into the holiday mood. The week before and after the championship were unforgettable for me. Usually, when we played (at 2pm on Sunday), there was no one on the street. That day the streets were full… and they were all from L’Aquila who had come to Padua for us. This was an unforgettable thing.”
However, sport continued to be part of his life: last March he became European champion at the 60 meters masters in Poland. “I have always been quite fast, that was my talent. I had fun there: I do sports to feel good. It’s better if he wins then… Then he continues with his usual irony. “What are masters? A bunch of older people running – I’m aging quite well!”
But the closing is entirely dedicated to the present and future of the Eagle of rugby. “The hope is that there will be many young people in L’Aquila rugby, but also some good older players who will allow the young people to improve. I was a normal player, but I had the chance to play with some champions and this improved me: Danie Gerber, Massimo Mascioletti, Serafino Ghizzoni. I hope that L’Aquila has good young players and some champions who will drag them along”

Over 90 players were invited to this event: called to the stage by an emotional man Paolo Mastri – historic voice and pen of L’Aquila rugby, son of the unforgettable manager Luigi Mastri – each received a green and yellow cap, with the name and number of championships won. Record for “Campanella“, born Pierluigi Pacifici, who has had four tricolors. But this is only an extract of the recorded interviews: the awards ceremonies and other interviews will be broadcast in the nonsolocalcio special broadcast today at 6pm

L’Aquila Rugby, the winners: Pino Fugaro, Angelo Autore, Angelo Ninni Vittorini, Pasquale Lamanna, Beniamino Manetta, Sergio Tiboni, Ezio Orzieri, Carlo Prosperini, Giancarlo Delli Ficorilli, Loreto Cucchiarella, Francesco Scimia, Giuseppe Zia, Riccardo Fugaro, Francesco Tione, Luigi Scipioni, Evelino Aio, Giancarlo Vicini, Daniele Colagrande, Massimo Petrocco, Sergio Parisse, Oscar Tortiello, Gaetano Del Grande, Carlo Del Grande, Francesco Aloisio, Giuseppe Pino Lusi, Giampiero Ricci, Carlo Lamanna, Giovanni Di Cola, Mauro Zingarelli , Antonio Falancia, Ennio Ponzi, Fulvio Di Carlo, Giorgio Morelli, Serafino Ghizzoni, Paolo Mariani, Massimo Mascioletti, Piero Camiscioni, Lucio Pelliccione, Pietro Farinosi, Maurizio Colangeli, Massimo Aloisio, Domenico Panone, Pasquale Museo, Marco D’Onofrio, Luca Pelliccione, Gigi Salvatore, Riccardo Zingarelli, Giancarlo Morelli, Pasquale Grottini, Benito Climastone, Rob Louw, Mauro Aloisi, Gino Troiani, Bruno D’Onofrio, Antonio Colella, Francesco Pietrosanti, Daniele Marrama, Giampiero Passacantando, Alessandro Bottichiari, Giulio Morelli, Lanfranco Massimi, Walter Di Carlo, Giovanni Alfonsetti, Valentino Venta, Gabriele Sorrentino, Andrea Castellani, Carlo Caione, Massimo Alfonsetti, Francesco Scipioni, Gianni Cicino, Pasquale De Ciantis, Lorenzo Cavallo, Wim Visser, Giuseppe Lamanna, Danie Gerber, Stefano Aio, Pietro Mari.