A modern, yet mature rugby culture brought by a real professional coach, fresh and up to date management and accurate and responsible recruiting campaign are the reasons behind the rise of Leoni from Treviso. Now they are set to target the Guinness PRO14 title.

There was a not so distant time when the British media were publicly calling for an exclusion of Benetton Rugby from the Champions Cup.

There were days when Italian clubs were struggling to survive in the ultra-competitive professional rugby environment and adapting was not easy in Italy, where competence and merit are sometimes ridiculed more often than people may think.

But thanks to a deep change in the club’s culture, that past seems hundreds of years ago now and the Leoni from Treviso are starting to roar like they never have in almost 75 years of history.

he appointment of head coach Kieran Crowley, their first real pro-coach with an international background, and a new passionate, fresh and up to date management, has turned the green-and-whites into a European powerhouse both in Guinness PRO14 and the European Cup.

This season, everything has clicked. The likes of Cardiff Blues, Scarlets, Edinburgh, Glasgow Warriors, Grenoble and Agen have all been defeated.

They recently beat the Dragons with the best-ever winning margin for an Italian club (57-7). On the road they have won in Newport, Port Elizabeth, Parma and almost escaped with a win from Belfast.

They currently sit second in Conference B with 10 wins, a draw and six losses. Only Leinster are ahead, while Benetton are one point clear of Ulster and five ahead of 2017 winners Scarlets.

After failing to advance to the Challenge Cup quarter-finals, with a Jack Carty intercept in the very last minute of the final pool stage match breaking their hearts, Benetton are now dreaming of an historical first ever place in the Guinness PRO14 Finals Series.

So, how have they turned it round?

Management and Culture

Real international experience, competence and up to date knowledge is what made it all possible.

Between 2015 and 2017, the club’s board of directors finally decided to get rid of the past and brought in sports director Antonio Pavanello, head coach Kieran Crowley, defence coach Marius Goosen, team manager Enrico Ceccato, lineout coach Marco Bortolami, scrum coach Fabio Ongaro and backs coach Ezio Galon.

They immediately generated a virtuous circle of commitment, attitude and responsibility that was key to kickstart a real day-by-day professional environment for the very first time in the club’s history.

New, modern protocols and a list of updated connections generated a far more serious club culture, finally separating the now professional Benetton Rugby from the old, picturesque, ‘copy-and-paste’ type of ‘pro’ club that it was in the early stages of its pathway from amateur rugby to the more complex setup required by modern pro-sports.

Recruitment

Intelligence and thorough scouting, both on the bench and in the back room, generated a new, accurate and forward-looking recruitment policy.

Benetton signed quality players on the open market like Monty Ioane and Ratuva Tavuyara but then started to use the new ‘permit players’ system, launched by the Italian Rugby Federation, far more wisely. Benetton is now able to support the young Italian talents with professional ambition reaching the Guinness PRO14 Arena.

Now the Stadio Monigo is a place where athletes from all over the world would play without hesitation.

The last name that officially ended up in the ²⁰¹⁹⁄₂₀ squad is Ian Keatley, the former Leinster, Connacht and Munster fly-half with seven international caps. He is one of the Europe’s most talented playmakers and is undoubtedly a huge signing for Benetton and Italian Rugby.

Monigo

The final ingredient of Benetton Rugby’s recipe for success was, and still is, their loyal and growing fan base.

The passion of the ‘fan base’ is pretty unique in Italian Rugby and that must be accurately understood around the world.

Clubs from the Top12, the rebranded national league, draw in a few hundred supporters for home fixtures.

Monigo, the Lion’s den, has always been home for at least 3000 cheering fans and that barrier is now starting to crack under coach Crowley’s blooming tenure.

The club and city council decided to start investing in Monigo. They covered the stand that was missing a roof, turning the facility into a 5000-plus all-seater, all-covered stadium.

The fans are responding and crowds are going up – just like Benetton.