On Monday, September 12, 2016, the LUISS rugby team faced the Bisonti, a team made up of residents of the Casa Circondariale G. Pagliei prison in Frosinone, in the inaugural match of Progetto Carceri.
Sponsored by the Italian Rugby Federation (FIR) in collaboration with Associazione Gianluca Serra and LUISS Sport, Progetto Carceri was presented to the press with Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) President Giovanni Malagò and Federal Advisor Stefano Cantoni, the head of the project for FIR. Participating in the event were also Walter Rista and Stefano Cavallini representing respectively La Drola di Torino and La Dozza di Bologna, the other two prison teams; CONI General Manager Roberto Fabbricini, the head of the Penitentiary Administration Department Cinzia Calandrini, ASI President Claudio Barbaro, director of the Frosinone prison Francesco Cocco and the head of LUISS Sport Paolo Del Bene.
The initiative promotes the importance of athletics in prisons as a rehabilitation and social reintegration tool while allowing students to experience different worlds and share the value of sports.
“CONI is a unique association, unlike any other national Olympic committee. They look beyond the games and medals to those not under the spotlights. Our mission is sport for everyone. We will never abandon any athlete or participant in these initiatives, that demonstrate our country’s progress and privileges sports at all levels. We are proud of the rugby world, characterized not only by events such as the 6 Nations but also by this type of social project. We will stand by your side,” declared CONI President Giovanni Malagò.
“This project in Frosinone,” declared Stefano Cantoni, “aims to be inclusive of every level and use sports to help these men achieve social reintegration. In addition to La Drola, La Dozza and I Bisonti, rugby is present in several additional institutions all over the country thanks to the help of many associations.”
“It is a part of our founding values,” concluded Cantoni, “we believe that our sport is particularly useful in leaving a deep mark on these men, helping them in their rehabilitation. I Bisonti, La Drola and La Dozza have blazed a trail, and we believe that a growing number of groups can soon follow their example and join the league.”
“LUISS has long been dedicated to social issues,” declared Paolo Del Bene, director of LUISS Sport, “and currently collaborates with over 15 different volunteer and community service projects such as Made in Carcere that offers training courses to incarcerated women in Lecce and Trani. Having the chance to have our rugby team participate in such an important match demonstrates the university’s growing dedication to delicate social issues. The students walked onto the field with great enthusiasm, confirming both their professionalism and maturity while facing people who approach sports to get away from difficult moments in their life. We are happy to be here and to participate in Progetto Carceri as we believe it is an opportunity to grow for the entire association.”
“The project we are presenting today is one that LUISS is proud of, we are very pleased to collaborate with I Bisonti,” declared the manager of the rugby team, Giuliano D’Ambrosio. “We believe that sport and culture are fundamental educational tools for everyone, even those who have taken the wrong path in life. We believe that sports is a chance for them to reintegrate themselves in society.”
“We spoke about the importance of this match since last year,” declared Germana De Angelis, the president of I Bisonti. I believe that being able to bring together two world that seem so distant from one another through sport, rugby in particular, has a strong value. We consider it a victory that we were able to jump through the bureaucratic hurdles to make this event happen. For us, playing both friendly and regular season matches mean breaking down barriers. For two hours, the men on the field are simply rugby players. It was a special day for both teams. The tears in the eyes of the players both before the match and during the third half are emblematic of this project, thus I would like to thank ASD LUISS for allowing us to have such an unforgettable experience.”
