Rugby: Lanarkshire rugby representatives visit Italian club

Mar 11 2010 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

REPRESENTATIVES from Hamilton and Dalziel Rugby clubs have forged links with Italian club Bergamo 1950.

Rather than visiting Rome for Scotland’s 6 Nations defeat a couple of weeks ago, the clubmen decided instead to visit the homeland of Italian rugby, which is centred around Milan in the north of the country.

Having been contacted by the Lanarkshire clubs, Bergamo officials offered to host the party on both the Friday evening and for pre-match lunch, before watching the game in the Bergamo clubhouse.

John Clelland of Hamilton Rugby Club said: “Our Italian hosts could not have done more for us and really did go out of their way to make us feel welcome.”

The Italians looked forward to developing links with the clubs from Hamilton and Dalziel, and considered the joint-visit an honour.

Bill Samuel from Dalziel Rugby Club commented: “I would love to see a joint team from Hamilton and Dalziel making a return visit, perhaps involving a youth team from our clubs as Bergamo have a very strong youth policy.

“Alternatively, it is hoped that Bergamo could visit Lanarkshire next year.”

Renzo Vedovelli, the youth coach at Bergamo, told the delegation that the club already enjoys links with clubs in Belgium and England, and said extending the hand of friendship to Scotland would be most welcome.

“My club are honoured to have been visited by representatives from Hamilton and Dalziel,” he added.