It was a memorable season for Rugby Gubbio. It began in July 2023, a few weeks after the historic promotion from Serie C to B, with the arrival in Gubbio of the new coach Joe McDonnell: All Blacks, winner of a championship as coach with Rovigo, an experience and knowledge of boundless rugby. Training, athletic preparation, skills, plays. Joe meticulously sets up each phase of the game, trying it over and over again.
The “wolves” are in Serie B for the first time, the first match against the Formigine Highlanders arrives in October and Rugby Gubbio wins! Setback against Siena but then two consecutive victories against Livorno and Florence.
It can be done, we can aspire to salvation, which as an objective for a newly promoted team is no small feat. The matches follow one another and the list of injuries grows longer. The impacts of the game are many, hard, always recovering to 100% is difficult. Colorno, Bologna and Modena, very difficult matches, are needed to gain experience. Then the miracle Pieve, at home, 27-24 for the Gubbio team. Then the mockery of Jesi and Formigine, lost 22-21 with the former and 3-0 with the latter. Then defeat in Livorno but victory at home against Florence. Colorno, Bologna and Modena, again very difficult matches, again important for gaining experience. But after Modena, with three days to go, mathematics says that Rugby Gubbio is safe, it is impossible for Formigine to close the gap.
And now here is the last act of the season against Jesi, a match won 29-27, with tries by Francesco Giorgini, Samuel Giacomini and the whole scrum, Davide Gioè and at the end, a beautiful try by two U18s in their first match in Senior, Riccardo Fioriti who supported the final pass to Giovanni Piobbichi who crushed the goal. For Rugby Gubbio the following took the field: Riccardo Tomassoli, Alessio Ghirelli, Francesco Giorgini, Lorenzo Crotti, Giovanni Di Fiore, Lorenzo Floridi, Davide Gioè, Lorenzo Urbanelli, Federico Sonini, Francesco Paciotti, Nicola Bellucci, Sebastiano Capannelli, Samuel Giacomini, Giuseppe Casagrande (vC), Filippo Ferranti, Mattia Scotti, Ayoub Mafrouh, Marco Cecchetti Jonathan Rafael Scarpa, Roberto Rogari and, making their debut in the First Team, Riccardo Fioriti and Giovanni Piobbichi. Lorenzo Urbanelli, number 8, was elected Rugby Gubbio Man of The Match. The award was kindly offered by the Castel D’Alfiolo farm in Padule, Gubbio, with the new Venturae wine. This is how all the Championships end: U16, U18 Centauri and Serie B. Congratulations to everyone.
Rugby Gubbio obviously doesn’t stop. Upcoming events are the Lupo Minirugby Tournament in Gubbio and then the Summer Centre.
Gubbio/Gualdo Tadino
04/05/2024 20:27
Editorial board
