We caught up with RWBRFC Ex-Colt Leo Arati, who is now playing rugby for an Italian club, northeast of Naples.
Why are you in Italy?
I am Italian on my dad's side, whose mother was born near the town of Benevento, in which I now play Rugby. I am living and working with family nearby in a smaller town named Dugenta. I'm hoping to continue developing my rugby here whilst learning Italian.
Who do you play for?
The team is called US Benevento. We play in Serie B, the third national tier in Italy.
How long are you there?
The plan is to stay for one year, but we will see what happens.
Any notable players from your club?
Yes! The following players have been capped for Italy:
- Fly-halves Carlo Canna (who is still active for Zebre in the URC and plays the Italian national team) and Kris Burton (born in Australia of an Italian mother, who played for Newport Dragons in 2013-14).
- Front row players Salvatore Perugini and Tommaso D’Apice (who briefly played for Gloucester in 2012-13)
- Second row Joshua Furno (born in Australia of Italian parents but brought up in Benevento. He played for Newcastle from 2014-16).
Are there any differences playing at an Italian club?
The game moves alot quicker than I'm used to, and training has a bigger focus towards physicality, as opposed to technical skills. Training is run by a mix of coaches and senior players. There is also only one senior sqaud per team.
Any similarities to your time at Bassett?
Yes, there is a big focus on playing up age-wise. Here there is an U20 squad, but I am proud to say I made my debut with the Senior team this weekend.
So, how has it gone so far?
I scored a try on my debut, beating local rivals ASD Salerno in the season opener (39-10). I've only been here two weeks, but I'm looking forward to travelling up to play Rugby Roma Olympic this Sunday.
"Despite the differences, the lessons I learned from my time playing at Bassett have helped me loads. I'd like to give big thanks to all those who coached and guided me throughout my time at RWBRFC."
