The Italian Women’s National team writes an unforgettable page in the history of blue rugby. In Auckland, on the third and final day of Pool B of the New Zealand Rugby World Cup, the XV coached by Andrea di Giandomenico and captained by Elisa Giordano overtook Japan 21-8 and conquered the qualification for the quarter-finals of the world championship. , from the first edition of the men’s Rugby World Cup to today, to no FIR National Team.
The qualification to the quarter-finals – to know the name of the opponent, Italy will have to wait for the result of England v South Africa and Canada v United States, which will decide the ranking of the top eight teams – reaches the end of 80 minutes suffered, against a Japan that, after a first half hour besieged in its own half, holds up to the Azzurre with an arrembante performance on the breakdowns, recovering lots of balls and keeping the Italians under pressure until the last quarter of an hour when a placed by Sillari first and the final goal of the veteran Melissa Bettoni dig the furrow that launches Giordano and her companions towards the goal so often dreamed of and, in the Italian night, finally reached.
For the 15th, coached by Andrea di Giandomenico and captained by Elisa Giordano, this is a goal never reached before, from the first edition of the men’s World Cup in 1987 to today, by any national team of the Italian Rugby Federation (Fir). To know the name of its opponent in the quarter-finals, Italy will now have to wait for the result of England-South Africa and Canada-United States, which will decide the ranking of the top eight teams.