FIRL’s north-west region warmed up for the upcoming Campionato Serie A RL with a three-team 9s outing on Saturday. Brescia RL and Parma RL, did not take part, with XIII del Ducato fielding two sides and XIII del Duomo one. Those four clubs will contest the north-west conference of the Serie A, which kicks off next week.

Two 12-12 draws testified to the closeness of the competition, with Ducato A beating XIII del Duomo to signal their supremacy. North west development chief Kelly Rolleston ran a 13-a-side practise match at the end of the day, to provide some of the new players the chance to gain some more experience. “It was a successful day,” he said, “having three sides in this little nines tournament was very productive. The new players understand the game a lot better now”.

Riccardo Dodi, coordinator of XIII del Duomo, said: “It was great for us; we had the chance to prepare for the championship. We have a lot of young players with a lot of enthusiasm, and now we’ve improved our rugby league skills for the future.”

Thomas Robuschi, who plays for the reigning champions XIII del Ducato, said: “It’s good to be playing again. It’s our third year of rugby league with XIII del Ducato; there’s a lot of interest in this sport, and new players are approaching our side! We are ready to win the Serie A RL again!”

All matches were officiated by Guido Bonatti, one of FIRL’s two match official tutors.