News

Calvisano fall prey to the economy

June 30 2009

Calvisano have been forced to drop out of Italy's top flight after financial constraints meant they would not be able to enter the Magners League.

Two Italian sides will compete in the Magners League from 2010 onwards, but the Brescia club's push to be one of those two has stalled without the necessary financial backing.

The Italian champions last year, Calvisano will now enter a semi-professional team in a lower division of Italian rugby while their better players move on to one of the teams set for Magners League inclusion: likely to be Benetton Treviso and one other.

The club has a number of Italian international players in its current squad, many of whom, it is expected, will move on elsewhere.

They include Italian international hooker Leonardo Ghiraldini, young fly-half/full-back Luke McLean, veteran scrum-half Paul Griffen and back-rower Alessandro Zanni.