"We are celebrating the first year of partnership with FIR right now and there could not have been a better occasion than a Cattolica Test Match to reaffirm, once again, the community of intent that enlivens our Group and Italrugby. The match against Russia will also be a testing ground prior to the World Cup in Japan, now imminent, and will certainly be a moment of togetherness for the fans to support the team in its world debut. It’s an event that has been long awaited by all rugby fans, but also an opportunity to bring this sport and its values to a wider audience which, this summer, will be able to participate in an important match in the stands of the Stadio delle Palme, cheering on the Italian team. So, the Director of Communications and Institutional Relations of Cattolica Assicurazioni, Emanuela Vecchiet, presented the Cattolica Test Match on August 17th in San Benedetto del Tronto, which will see the Italian national team and the Russian team compete on the field.

It’s a taste of the spectacle that awaits rugby fans in September, when the World Cup kicks off in Japan. Parisse and his teammates, currently in Pergine Valsugana, will challenge the Russian Bears before finding out the names of the 31 who will be called up for the international game. “The choice of the stadium 'Riviera delle Palme' is strategic and represents an excellent opportunity to reach an audience consistent with the vision of the events of the Federation” said Onorio Rebecchini, vice president of FIR. “I would like to thank the institutions and all sponsors who continue to firmly believe in our technical and development project relating to rugby in our country. This concept was also reiterated by FIR's Director of Events, Pier Luigi Bernabò: "The match against Russia is not only a significant sporting moment in our national team’s preparation for the World Cup, but also and above all a fantastic opportunity to communicate the fascination of great international rugby to a new audience, made up of young people and families who constitute, for us, a reference target, one that is sensitive and attentive to the typical values of the game". Luca Cerisioli, President of the Marche Region, was equally enthusiastic: "Being able to host an event of this magnitude, and which is unique in Italy, here in the Marche region makes us very happy. This is a great opportunity to turn the spotlight on our territory in terms of image and the promotion of tourism. The Councillor for Tourism and Sport of San Benedetto del Tronto, Pierluigi Tassotti, also highlighted the importance of the event: "The match is much more than a sporting event, it is a unique opportunity to promote the province capital of the Riviera delle Palme on an international scale, as well as its vocation as a place devoted to the practice of sport. At the presentation conference of the Cattolica Test Match there were also two "old glories" of Italrugby: Pierluigi Camiscioni and Giambattista Croci. "I hope that this Test Match will be the first in a long series of similar events," said Camiscioni. "Today's rugby is much more physical than when I played” said Croci, who made his debut against Russia in the Italian team - “but the spirit has remained the same: the desire to have fun and be together have remained unchanged.”