LAWN. It may have been the frequent spring rains but the work on the Montano rugby field in Viale Galilei has not yet started. Announced with great fanfare by clubs and institutions in December 2023, the renovation work on the playing field, which is expected to become synthetic, has yet to begin after five months, despite the use of the field being denied since 6 December.
Originally the synthetic pitch should have been ready for the start of the 2023/24 season as it is an essential part for the organization of the facilities of the Union Knights who promote rugby in the area for under 16s, under 18s and seniors, but instead a first postponement in December with consequent interruption of the use of the field for training and inevitable, tangible problems for the organization of the children’s sporting activities.
In Prato the rugby fields have decreased in the last ten years, the two fields that were connected to the Rodari high school, the Memorino di Tavola field, the subsidiary of Iolo and above all the Luciano Denti alla Castellina field, the place where the rugby began, have disappeared. Gispi rugby activity, in the meantime no new facility has been built and the only facilities available at the moment are the Iolo field and the Colline Medicee sports club field in Seano as well as the Coiano field managed by Gispi Prato.
If we add to this general situation the impossibility of using the pitch in Viale Galilei, which never activated the management of the club house, it is easy to understand the inconvenience for families and athletes in the Prato area and above all for the Cavalieri Union club.
After the appeal by president Francesco Fusi a few weeks ago, with the Union Cavalieri involved in the Serie A play-offs and the under-16s in the quarter-finals for the national title, it seemed that the work would begin shortly, with the date of May 7th as the starting goal, but this promise was also disappointed.
The championships are coming to an end, the pitch has not been available for training for five months and there is nothing left to do but wait for yet another date for the start of work.
In terms of results, on Sunday the under 16 team coached by Ricottini and Nannini will be called upon to overturn last week’s defeat of 38 to 19 against Verona rugby, it will be necessary to win with a 20 point difference, collecting the bonus point for the tries scored without grant points to the Veronese. Difficult but not impossible undertaking for the boys coached by Ricottini and Nannini.
