10. Ragazze nel Pallone #1, July 2021:
The first signs of life after Covid had changed the world we live in over the previous 18 months. Our determination to make the tournament happen would eventually provide the impetus for a return to competitive touch rugby nationwide. On the pitch, highlights included a length-of-the-field defensive effort from never-say-die Micha and a brilliant pass from Chiara C which sent Dijana diving over the line for a memorable try.
***********************************
9. Ragazze nel Pallone #2, July 2022.
12 months on from the previous year’s tournament, only 3 of the original line-up were back to compete at this bonanza of women’s sport, meaning challenging times for a callow Scambio selection. Undeterred, our girls got on with the job and held their own against vastly more experienced teams. Highlights included a brilliant first try for debutant Ana and an impressive display of passing by fellow fledgling Narjies. Two to look out for in the coming year!
***********************************
8. International honours, August 2022.
Ok, so it hasn’t actually happened yet (at the time of writing), but nevertheless, the prospect of Scambio representation for the Italian national team this year is worthy of particular mention. Never before has a Padova-based player donned the Azzurri colours for a competitive tournament, but then suddenly it happens twice, with both Giulio and Clara among those selected to travel to Nottingham for this year’s European Championships. Forza ragazzi!
***********************************
7. Scambio 5 – 1 Verona, February 2022.
A game that changed our season. At full strength, Verona take a 1st minute lead, piling on the misery after we had underperformed against Brianza in horrible weather conditions. The temptation to throw in the towel and sprint towards a hot shower was immense. But we stayed calm, trusted our systems, and eventually dominated the highest ranked team in Italy. We suspected we were good, but this result more than any other helped us to believe it.
***********************************
6. Rulebook speed-reading, finals June 25th, Villorba:
Not many spectators expect to be given a whistle and assessed by a cohort of international referees when they show up to watch a tournament, but that is what happened to Zamps on the final day. He has yet to play a tournament, and ony did his refereeing course a month earlier, but now he’s one of only three level 1 referees in Padova. Not a bad way to elevate your status in a hurry!
***********************************
5. Heroic wing defence v Brianza, finals June 25th, Villorba:
A game of mixed emotions. Cruising at 4-2 to the good, we were in danger of imploding entirely in the second half when Brianza finally began to turn the screw. We would have, too, were it not for the heroics of our courageous Chiaras. On the left, Suriani bravely dives at the feet of Brianza’s Giacomo Allaria to prevent a certain try, while on the right, Cogliati defies logic, appearing from nowhere to defy the same player. No wonder he targeted the mids for most of the game!
***********************************
4. Orange Monkeys and Lepers off our backs, Keeping Padova in Touch, 28th May:
The Scambio had beaten almost every team in the championship at least once coming into the season, but their collective record against the mite of Orange and Leprotti wasn’t good. Played 6, won 0, lost 6. A psychological mountain needed to be scaled if they were to be taken down, but in successive matches, that is exactly what the Scambio did amid unforgettable scenes in Padova. Cool, calm, and lethal.
***********************************
3. What is rare is beautiful, National Finals, June 25th, Villorba:
We knew we would need a sophisticated attack to break open a team like Brianza, and to the coach’s great delight, some rehearsed moves actually came off, including an absolute beauty from captain “utility”. Jeremy’s set-up, Rana’s pass, Ila’s decoy, Chiara’s width on the left wing and ultimately, Charlie’s timing, acceleration and vision to steam over the line for one hell of a try.
***********************************
2. First try on foreign soil, March 26, Voglans
Who scored the Scambio’s first ever try abroad? A pub-quiz question to sort out the men form the boys! In this case, it was a women who sorted them all out, a Scottish woman, naturally. Step forward and take a bow Clare Petrie, who clung onto a long pass 30 seconds into our opener against SMU, and who will be clinging onto this claim to fame for a lot longer!
***********************************
1. Keeping Padova in Touch Final v Treviso Knights, May 28th
There is always a fear that you will never reach the potential that you know you have. And a realisation that you’ll never earn the respect of your contempories if you don’t. The Scambio had won tournaments before, but never against such quality opposition. In front of friends and family, there was pressure in this one not to disappoint. Orange and Leprotti had already been successfully accounted for, but it would all mean precious little if we couldn’t despatch a full-strength Knights team in the final. What followed was the most focussed and complete team performance of the season. Feverish defence and clinical attack, this one had it all.
***********************************