Rugby razzle-dazzle to enliven Allianz Stadium

Article posted by Coliseum, June 18^th, 2024

Image: Juventus Stadium, Snowdog, CC BY-SA 4.0

November 23^rd will be yet another day to remember for the Allianz Stadium (Turin, Italy), and this time football and the Serie A team Juventus F.C. … have nothing to do with it.

‘juventus.com’ stated that the Juventus’ home, for the very first time, will open its doors for a non-football event: The ball will be oval, there will be 30 players on the pitch instead of 22 and in battle, in place of the ‘Bianconeri’’s’ exploits, will be the Azzurri (Italy national rugby union team) of Italian rugby, ready for a high-profile encounter against the three-time World Champions, the All Blacks (New Zealand national rugby union team).

The Juventus Football Club, commonly known as Juventus or colloquially known as Juve, is an Italian professional football club based in Turin, Piedmont (Italy) who competes in the Serie A, the top tier of the Italian football league system.

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The 41,507-capacity Juventus Stadium, known for sponsorship reasons as the Allianz Stadium since July 2017, sometimes simply known in Italy as the Stadium, is an all-seater football stadium in the Vallette borough of Turin, Italy, and the home of Juventus F.C.

The Italy national rugby union team represents the Italian Rugby Federation in men’s international rugby union. The team is known as gli Azzurri. The 72,698-capacity Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy, serves as their residence.

The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks, represents New Zealand in men’s international rugby union, which is considered the country’s national sport. Famed for their international success, the All Blacks have often been regarded as one of the most successful sports teams in history. The 50,000-capacity Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand, serves as their home ground.

‘juventus.com’ further stated that kicking off at 21:10, Gonzalo Quesada’s (Argentine coach who presently works as Head Coach for the Italy national rugby union team) Italy will face New Zealand in the third and final Test-match of the Autumn Nations Series: A particularly special encounter because it will represent an unprecedented ‘première’ in the Allianz Stadium, the result of an agreement signed between Juventus and the Italian Rugby Federation.

The Italian Rugby Federation or FIR is the governing body for the sport of rugby in Italy. The FIR has one seat in the 28-member World Rugby Council, the governing body of World Rugby.

Dublin (Ireland)-based the World Rugby is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. The World Rugby organizes the Rugby World Cup every four years, the sport’s most recognized and most profitable competition.

Enthused Francesco Calvo, Juventus’ Managing Director Revenue and Football Development, “We are proud to have reached this agreement with the Italian Rugby Federation which will allow the doors of the Allianz Stadium to be opened to non-football events for the first time. The Allianz Stadium was the first stadium to be owned by a club in Italy, but since its opening we have never stopped, following the technological evolution of the sector, which allows us, today, to open up to new opportunities and support the Federation in this important event.”

Maintained Marzio Innocenti, President, Italian Rugby Federation, “The All Blacks are an icon in international sport, as is Juventus. To be able to welcome them once again to Italy and to be able to do so in the best sporting facility in Italy adds a new element to the game. I would like to thank Juventus for making this agreement possible by adapting the facility to our game and the local institutions, from the Region to the City Council, who has strongly supported the return of Azzurri to Turin. The Azzurri versus the All Blacks at the Allianz Stadium will be an unforgettable event, not only for the rugby community, but for Italian sport as a whole.”

Several Turin and Piedmont institutions are enthralled over the above development.

The President of the Piedmont Region, Alberto Cirio, observed that “Bringing the match between the Italian national team and the legendary New Zealand All Blacks to Turin and Piedmont means realizing yet another great goal for our region. After the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Tennis Finals, which we intend to keep here even beyond 2025, stages of the Giro d’Italia (an annual multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in Italy) and the Tour de France (an annual men’s multiple-stage bicycle race held primarily in France) as well as the Final Eight of Basketball, our ‘license’ for the organisation of international sports events is now further enhanced by this oval ball spectacle, along with its fantastic fans. Together with the Federation, Juventus and the City of Turin, we believed in this project right from the beginning, which showcases top-level sport and makes our territory known all over the world.”

Stated Stefano Lo Russo, Mayor of Turin, “Turin is increasingly establishing itself as the ideal venue for major international sporting events and we are very happy about that. Welcoming the All Blacks, a true powerhouse of world rugby and an icon of world sport, will increase the visibility quotient of our territory. The agreement between the Italian Rugby Federation and the Allianz Stadium in Autumn will bring these great rugby champions to our City, together with the fans and supporters from all over the world.”

So, diarize the date: November 23^rd. Information on ticketing for Italy’s matches in the Autumn Nations Series in November 2024 will be available soon on **Federugby.it**.

The Autumn Nations Series is a rugby tournament that features top international teams from the Northern and Southern hemispheres. The series is a highlight of the rugby calendar and typically takes place in October and November over six match days, with 20 matches in total.

The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Finals is the season-ending championship of the ATP Tour. It is the most significant tennis event in the men’s annual calendar after the four majors, as it features the top eight singles players and the top eight doubles teams based on their results throughout the season.

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