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Benetton rugby - meet the man who heads up youth rugby at the leading Italian rugby club

Giovanni Grespan spoke with our Italian office about his time as a rugby player, his role at Benetton rugby and the differences between the Italian and UK systems.

Today, our Italian office is delighted to be interviewing Giovanni Grespan, former Italian rugby international he accumulated 20 caps and played at the Rugby World Cup in the 1990s. Giovanni now works with the youth teams at Benetton Rugby, the strongest Italian rugby club and recent winner of the 2021 Rainbow cup.

Giovanni, tell us about how you got started with your home-town team and about your current role with Benetton Rugby.

I started playing rugby at the age of 12, Benetton Rugby was active with local schools and I was encouraged to join the club's youth team, I then progressed into adult rugby and eventually played at the top level of Italian rugby. After my career as a player, Benetton immediately asked me to manage the 1st XV, an incredible experience that lasted 1 year. Afterwards I moved to my current position of director of youth rugby, a role that I have now enjoyed for over 20 years and which has provided me with extensive experience with young players. I supervise the entire youth section from Under-6s to Under-18s and I also work as the logistical coordinator for the women's section.

Tell us about the stunning “La Ghirada” Sport Centre, home to the all the Benetton teams.

La Ghirada was built in 1982 specifically for Rugby but then subsequently extended to be used by teams playing other popular sports in Italy such as Basketball and Volleyball. The centre is also equipped with a golf driving range, beach volleyball pitches, a swimming pool, restaurant and playground for children. The Rugby facilities include 6 pitches, a gym, team offices and changing rooms that are used by more than 450 players.

La Ghirada Sport Centre was chosen by the English national team as its base to prepare for the 2019 World Cup in Japan, can you tell us more about this?

It was a very positive and mutually satisfying experience, and we still remain in touch today with our English guests. The thing that struck me most, in addition to how the players made themselves available to supporters for photos, autographs, etc., was the large number of staff who accompanied the team, practically one person supporting each player: 35 players and 35 staff!

Giovanni, you’re not just well known as a youth rugby coach, you have also organised the Città di Treviso rugby tournament for many years, can you tell us about this annual event?

The tournament was first played in the 1980s and we have now played 42 editions. For many years we were lucky enough to have Walt Disney Studios as a partner, and Mickey Mouse was the figurehead of the tournament, nowadays we work with other companies, but the tournament remains one of the most famous and well-known in Europe.

The tournament takes place over 2 days each May with 6,000 players from Under-6s to Under-14s and a crowd about 10,000 people made up of parents and rugby fans. Italian clubs as well as foreign teams travel to Treviso then use the tournament as an opportunity to visit the city of Treviso as well as nearby locations such as the beach at Jesolo or the city of Venice. On the last afternoon of the tournament, the finals are played at the Monigo Stadium with players from the Benetton first team in attendance and who happily make themselves available to the junior players for photos and autographs.

You’re an expert in youth rugby and have hosted numerous international teams on tour in Treviso over the years, what is your opinion of Italian rugby versus rugby played abroad?

With reference to the British system, I believe that the main difference is that sport isn’t played in Italian schools. The system in the UK allows children the opportunity to play sport in school and at a club so they play twice as much as an Italian child who only has the chance to train at their local club after school. Therefore foreign children, including the French too, are better prepared than us from a physical and technical point of view.

Another critical element concerns the transition from youth rugby to adult rugby, in Italy there is no Under-21s level, an intermediate age category between Under-18s and senior rugby. In the coming seasons, Benetton and Zebre are introducing this age category and will be able to train players aged 19 and 20 allowing the clubs to recruit the best players in Italy.

You told me that you already have a lot of interest from foreign teams wanting to come on tour in 2022, can you describe the opportunities and experiences you can offer teams visiting the world of Benetton Rugby?

We will always look to organize matches during the week depending on the time of year and in line with the ability of the touring team. The sports centre and our staff are available to take specific training sessions, or we can leave a team to run their own session and enjoy the experience of training at our high performance centre. The chance to form new friendships and compare drills and techniques with foreign coaches and their players is important and of great value for us.

I will finish by saying that the weekend provides a fantastic opportunity to attend a Benetton Rugby home match, watching either Pro 14 or a European cup match. It really would be great for a foreign team on tour to be immersed in the atmosphere of a professional game at an Italian venue.

Published: Thursday 01 July 2021