(PRIMASPORT) MILAN – Italian rugby is restarting in Milan. The 2026/2027 season of the Serie A Elite Men's Championship, the top national rugby league, was presented at the RAI headquarters in the Lombardy capital. Saturday, October 17th.
The press conference, conducted jointly for the first time by the Italian Rugby Federation and the Italian Rugby League, outlined the main innovations for a season that aims to further strengthen the visibility, recognition, and engagement of the top domestic tournament. A key aspect of the new season will once again be television and digital coverage. Rai confirms its commitment to the top Italian league, with one match per matchday broadcast live on RaiSport. The Scudetto Final will also be broadcast live on Rai 2 in prime time.,
«"The Men's Elite Series awards our Federation's oldest and most prestigious national titles," said FIR Vice President Antonella Gualandri. "We are thrilled to celebrate this new season together with the Italian Rugby League, Rai, and the clubs in our top division. The role of the Men's Elite Series and the relaunch plan that, together with the League, we immediately identified as one of the priorities of our four-year mandate are very clear and find strong narrative coherence in the Rai headquarters in Milan: this tournament must represent one of the flagship assets of the FIR's sports and entertainment offerings. I thank Rai, The Rugby Channel, the City of Milan, and the Lombardy Region for their support and support in promoting this seasonal launch, the first step on the road to our ninety-seventh championship. On behalf of the Federal Council, I wish the League, its new president Coppo, the Captains, and all the Clubs the very best of luck for an unforgettable season of great rugby.".
«"We're building on what we've built to date and on a legacy we don't want to lose," stated Lega Italiana Rugby President Fabio Coppo. "The League has progressively taken on greater responsibilities, and the next step must be to further strengthen the collaborative efforts among the Clubs. Our goal is to grow the Serie A Elite product as a whole: technical quality, organization, communication, spectators, ability to attract partners, and the valorization of professionalism. No club can truly grow alone: the growth of individuals necessarily depends on the growth of the entire league. We must continually strive to better communicate our players, Clubs, cities, and the stories this tournament embodies, as well as the values that have always defined rugby and represent one of the strongest elements of its identity, bringing all of this to an ever-wider audience.".
«"We are delighted that our city has been chosen to launch the new Serie A Elite season," said Martina Riva, Councilor for Sport and Youth Policies for the City of Milan. "The championship's growing visibility is good news for the entire rugby movement, as it will bring new fans, especially among the younger generations, to this sport whose founding values are respect and teamwork. As an Administration, we want to support this growth by creating opportunities to play rugby in neighborhoods as well, as evidenced by the recent assignment of the Via Padova pitch to CUS Milano. A sporting city is a city capable of promoting major events, but it must also be able to make sport increasingly accessible to everyone in their daily lives, especially the citizens of tomorrow.".
“"Even in the case of rugby, the great sport passes through the Lombardy capital to present itself, in this case the 2026/2027 Men's Elite Serie A Championship. This event confirms the quality of the sport in Lombardy, which, along with Veneto, is one of the two regions with the highest number of registered members," says Federica Picchi, Undersecretary for Sport and Youth of the Lombardy Region. "Milan is also home to one of the FIR's Under-18 continuing education centers, where the most promising Italian rugby players study and train. But Lombardy believes in rugby not only as a competitive sport but also as a tool for growth, inclusion, and education for young people. For this reason, together with the FIR, we supported the 'IN META! – Rugby, Youth and Territory' project, aimed at young people between the ages of 15 and 34, particularly in the most vulnerable urban areas, and which we also implemented in Milan's Beccaria prison." (PRIMASPORT)
