It's a big honour being the competition ambassador at my club and having the possibility to share with my team mates what rugby has transmitted to me. I hope to be up to this task.
How important is it to the club to get young fans involved?
It's very important because youngsters are the ones that really provide the atmosphere at matches. Their happy faces after the game give us the energy to try to win the next match. It's a treasure that every club should take full advantage.
What plans do you have for your Masterclass?
I still have to think about it in detail but I will be sure to make the boys experience a real rugby day. First of all they should have fun and then they must have in mind that our sport is hard work and requires sacrifices but, through their hard work, the success that they will reach will taste better.
What will it mean for the kids to visit the ground and the dressing room?
Definitely it will make them feel lucky and give them a huge boost for the future: the most pleasant memories are those affected by strong emotions and I hope to see the emotions in their eyes the same ones that I feel every time I go into the pitch.
How tough is it for rugby to compete with football in Italy?
Italy is a country with an impressive football tradition, there isn't a child who does not already have a team or who does not know the champions of Serie A. The road is still long, but it would be nice one day get closer to the numbers of football.
What rugby memories do you have as a child?
I remember the Italy matches that I watched at the Flaminio Stadium in Rome. When you came out of the subway you were enveloped by the colours of the teams and the festive atmosphere. Supporters all together were walking toward the stadium, singing, laughing and eating sandwiches! Coaches from every part of Italy underlined the importance of the event and made ??me feel privileged.
Did you ever meet one of your rugby heroes? If so, who and what did it mean to you?
I'm very young so I supported many players that I couldn't even imagine becoming my future team mates in the national team! I still remember a mini-rugby tournament in Rome when I was ten, I went to the prop Andrea Lo Cicero to ask for an autograph: he was as tall as me when he was kneeling down! Then 11 years later I scored the try which helped our victory against Ireland in his last game in our national team!
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