One event I attended was the Italy - France rugby match in March 2019, before the pandemic which unfortunately blocked the possibility for fans of any sport to access the stadiums and watch the games. The game was played in the stadium in Rome, L'Olimpico, and honestly I was in the capital in the company of my wife to visit some friends and spend a few days together. One of them is a rugby fan and invited us to spend a day at the stadium to watch the event.
Personally I have watched a few games on TV and unfortunately Italy, although it participates in a tournament as important as the six nations, is the weakest link and you can count on the fingers of one hand the games that the Italian national team has managed to win. But what matters most is the party and the atmosphere of serenity that is experienced in the stands. We arrived at the stadium about a couple of hours before the event, there were already a lot of people and the fans of both teams were sitting next to each other, without any fear, indeed many guys were socializing, drinking beer and eating hot dogs.
Next to us I remember well that there was a group of French boys who had their faces painted with the Italian flag and the shirt of France, a party that obviously went well beyond the stadium atmosphere that is typical for example in football. Music accompanied the fans at the start of the match and a great chaos of cheering shouts rose from all over the stadium. The match was also fun with a balance between the two teams which however confirmed the inferiority of the Italian team which had to give up the final result at 14-25, despite having fought both halves on every ball, hard and fast. decided. Unfortunately, the inexperience, the many errors and inaccuracies and the maturity of the French team left no hope for the home team and had to accept yet another defeat of the tournament, confirming itself last in the standings.
Impressive to see rugby players up close though, they really are a mountain of muscle. Every fight between the players thundered in the air like thunder in the night. They are really steel bodies to never collapse and I was amazed by the harmony with which they play, they really know each other by heart but above all they always encourage each other, both when they go in points and when they make mistakes, they are always united. A very important teaching for the many kids present in the stands.
Despite the result, at the end of the match the party continued inside the stadium, with shows and entertainment and we continued dancing and drinking for over an hour before leaving the Olympic stadium. The party atmosphere continued also outside, the fans of both nations were hugging each other and continued to dance and sing aloud the great classics of Italian music, such as O Sole Mio. Truly a wonderful experience which I hope to be able to repeat as soon as possible.