The rugby of the women’s national team is stubborn and sensitive. Elisa Giordano speaks

And the captain of the Italian women’s rugby team. And so it is the symbol of that movement which in 2006 had 600 players and today 9,000, the flag of that team which arrived in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup (the highest level ever reached by any Italian rugby team), fifth in world ranking (ditto), ready to face the Six Nations (from 25 March to 29 April, the first match on Sunday 26 March at 4 pm against France at the Lanfranchi in Parma). Elise Giordano32 years old, from the Veneto region of Mirano, graduated in occupational therapy, third center of the Valsugana champion of Italy, 60 “caps” – official appearances – in the blue shirt.

Rugby, legacy or coincidence?

“Curiosity, or perhaps fate. Skating, basketball, handball, then rugby at 19 just to try. I only knew, by hearsay, that the ball was oval. I liked: the ball, the pitch, the teammates, the team, the environment, the game. More and more. And I never stopped.”

Pure amateurism?

“With the team, yes. In the national team, with 21 other blues, I signed a contract with the Federation. An economic contribution that does not change our commitment at all. Which is passion. Those who study, those who work, when we go away we ask for time off or take holidays”.

More what he gave to rugby or what he received from rugby?

“Plus what I received. What I am now, for better or for worse, is all due to rugby. Character, values, ideals. I put my effort into it, which is no small thing: three workouts a week, plus the gym, plus the match, plus rest and recovery, which are essential”.

But does rugby still have those values ​​– support, respect, discipline… – or is it just rhetoric?

“It is the truth. The team, mine at Valsugana, mine in the national team, is a big family. If it weren’t, it couldn’t exist. Rugby has all the contours that aren’t there elsewhere. Tradition, spirit, soul. I believe that all this is in the essence of the game. The third half, for example: sitting down at the table after the match, eating and drinking, explaining and telling stories, confiding and laughing, even with the opponents and the referee, helps to create an authentic and indispensable bond. But we all know that rugby cannot, indeed, must not become everything. And we know it’s not forever.”

So, in one word, rugby is…

“There is not a single word, but many. Rugby is a lot. Because it’s friendship, effort, tears, smiles, rebirth, transformation, satisfaction. You have no idea how much it is until you live it, play it, breathe it, live it. And you don’t need to be captain of the national team.”

As captain, your job?

“Help my friends. With a gesture, a word, a look. With an example, a desire, an energy. Here: I have to create positive energies. And I know that my companions will give them back to me in the form of trust. A task that falls not only to the captain, but also to the other leaders, by age, experience and personality. However, that of the captain is a role that gives and takes away energy, which involves honors and duties, which also involves mistakes”.

Which?

“I make a mistake when I try to load myself with too many responsibilities”.

Is rugby better for men or for women?

“Ours is less physical, therefore more technical. The level goes up all the time. It means that, ball in hand, a decision must be made in an ever shorter time. And the decision should be the best. But if it’s not the best, it’s okay anyway, and we have to start again from there”.

Prejudice towards female rugby players?

“Still, always, many. But it takes time. Day after day, match after match, we will bring them down.”

How are the rugby players?

“Stubborn and sensitive”.

Six Nations. England?

“Number one in the world. The goal, the finish line, the example: to get where they are. But light years separate us in terms of movement, basin, culture. And physically they are unattainable”.

France?

“Stronger than Italy, but similar in the dynamism of the game. Between us, a derby. But if France is in a bad mood and Italy loves it, we’ll play it. It already happened”.

Scotland, Ireland, Wales?

“Scotland is growing, Ireland is putting us in trouble, Wales is strong but…”.

But?

“But you always need the perfect match.”

The most beautiful field?

“The Millennium in Cardiff: gigantic”.

The most beautiful locker room?

“Ours, at Valsugana”.

The highest posts?

“I never look at them.”

Have you ever wondered who makes them do it?

“Often. When it rains, when it snows, when it’s cold, when I struggle, in training and in matches, in the gym or in athletic preparation, when after 10 tackles I have to make the eleventh. But the answer is very easy: I do it for myself and for my companions”.