We have an Italia Cup!

This is only the beginning in delivering our message of growth and development to the game of the game in Italy.

8 teams for Italia RFL will suffice in the first edition... All the staff of the Italia RFL have spent the winter to build the return of Rugby League in the months that were not strictly summer. We managed to keep the promise not to obstruct any Union activity - from which, remember, we (Rugby League players and staff) all come from.

But in the end, 8 courageous teams have accepted our proposal through playing Rugby League in a National competition, our inaugural Italia Cup (Coppa Italia), opening just as the old FIAR XIII had at the dawn of the '1960s- with commitments to more full-bodied summer. Commencing at a time when the best Rugby League Championships in the world start- NRL in Australia / New Zealand and Super League in England and France - also in Italy we resume with the 13.

As always enjoyment is felt with our ambition to create interest, intrigue and become more professional.

The competition will be divided into 3 groups: Umbria, Lazio and Sicily. For each of the eliminations that will be played that will go out as the finalists for the date of 20 March, in Rome.

The teams involved will be:

• UMBRIA Group - Etruschi Perugia and Grifoni Perugia, led by Andrew Tagliavento, player/trainer of Gladiators Roma that in July of last year had won the Italia RFL Championship against Magnifici Firenze.

• LAZIO Group - Roma Rugby 2000 and Corsari Roma. Andrea Gabrielli and the Vice-President of Italia RFL coordinate expansion of 13 in Lazio.

• SICILIA Group - Cus Catania, Briganti Librino, Fenice Belpasso and Catania Rugby 2009. In Sicily blowing on the sails of Rugby League, Massimo Nicotra and Marco Suaria coaches of Spartans Catania, third in the 2010 finals and promoters of a sort of thirteen verve in Sicily Rugby.