Giordano on being Italy's Paralympic Flame Torchbearer: 'It was a call that came out of the blue'

Elisa Giordano is a busy lady and while the Italian captain could be forgiven if her mind is beginning to drift towards the start of the Guinness Women’s Six Nations and adding to her 78 caps on 11th April, for now she has two major focuses in her life.

One is helping her side Valsugana Rugby Padova back to the Serie A Elite Femminile title. They topped the regular season and will want to make up for losing the 2025 final to Arredissima Villorba Rugby, who just happened to finish second behind Valsugana in the regular season standings.

While that is all going on, Giordano also has a full-time job to think about. The 35-year-old is an occupational therapist in Padua, in Italian rugby’s north-eastern heartland. It is a job she has had throughout her rugby career and means that the number eight needs to be able to switch between work mode and rugby mode quickly.

“I’m used to it,” said the Italian veteran. “I’ve been doing this for a few years now. I had to work out a system quickly because I have to come to the office, then I have to go to training, and I have to make sure I have everything in order for when I go to training.

“I have two mobile phones. They’re never turned off because there are always problems that need to be resolved and clients that need me. I have to try and resolve them no matter where I am. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to organise anything.

“I don’t have a lot of time left playing, so it is important I have a job I really like. I’m always telling the younger players who are studying to not just think about being a professional, but to create a parallel life that will help them on and off the pitch. I’d encourage everyone to find other work alongside playing.”

Italy’s Six Nations campaign will open with a visit to France, just as their 2025 Rugby World Cup campaign did. The World Cup ended in disappointment after they failed to reach the quarter-finals, as they did at the 2022 World Cup in New Zealand.

They lost 24-0 to France in Exeter and then faced South Africa in York with the winner likely to progress to the quarter-finals. South Africa made a strong start and led 17-12 at half-time. Fabio Roselli’s team fought back to pull level at 24-24, but Sinazo Mcatshulwa’s late score gave the Springbok Women a historic victory.

The Azzurre at least left on a high by beating Brazil 64-3, a match which gave Roselli the chance to give some of the younger players a taste of the World Cup. Giordano picks out scrum-half Alia Bitonci and centre Giada Corradini as two players who have the ability to take the team forward.

“It was a difficult week after the loss to South Africa because it meant we were out,” Giordano said. “We tried to reset and work out where we were, prepare for the match against Brazil the following week and try to take something positive away with us. We decided to keep going with the style of play, even if it meant there was the risk we could lose. We took a few hits, but we carried on working to keep on improving.

“Going home and playing helped relieve the pain that we went through as a national team. Playing with players who didn’t go to the World Cup helped blow away the disappointment.”

Head coach Roselli’s arrival in December 2024 came as something of a surprise as former coach Giovanni Raineri was expected to continue until the end of the World Cup. It meant that Giordano had a bonus season under him, and they continue to communicate regularly.

Giordano was captain for the Six Nations and World Cup. She first captained the side during the 2020 Six Nations when she filled in for Manuela Furlan, but when asked about her staying in post, she points the way to Roselli; “you’ll have to ask him,” she said. It is something she is happy to continue, though with a new World Cup cycle starting she knows that there will be changes at some stage.

“I am available to help with the transition, and to help guide a younger player,” Giordano said. “I am always available, even if they want to decide on a match by match basis.”

She needn’t have worried. A few days after this interview Roselli announced his squad, with C for capitana next to Giordano’s name.

Another thing that won’t change is Italy’s open style that means they try to put their dangerous back three players – Aura Muzzo, Alyssa D’Inca, Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi, and Francesca Granzotto into attacking positions as soon as possible.

“We started this way under Andrea Di Giandomenico (Italy coach 2009 to 2022) and we learned a lot,” Giordano said. “I like it. Moving the ball and playing quickly makes sense because we don’t have the physical characteristics to make a match physical, though every now and then we need to.

“We try to get the ball wide, and counter-attack, but we would like more of a mix. We definitely need to work on our kicking game which we are doing little by little. But moving the ball to the wings is the Italian style now.”

Earlier in the year, Giordano had an unexpected reward for her years of service to Italian women’s rugby. She was offered the chance to be a Flame Torchbearer in Padua during the build-up to the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.

 

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“It was a call that came out of the blue and they asked if I would be interested in carrying the flame in Prato della Valle near where I live,” she said. “I happily accepted, though I was worried I might drop the Flame or put it out somehow. It was only a jog for 150 metres, but it went well.”

At the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, Italy’s female athletes won over half of the country’s final tally of 10 gold medals, most notably speed skater Francesca Lollobrigida and alpine skier Federica Brignone who won two each. Lollobrigida returned to the sport after giving birth, while Brignone fought back to her best after major knee surgery.

“They really are heroes,” Giordano said. “Watching women, especially women of a certain age gives young female athletes a lift and hope that they can reach their destination. It helps us perform our best.

“Even though we don’t have the biggest rugby culture in Italy, I believe they are a beautiful example of what can be achieved with passion because coming back after having children is not a small thing, and they are wonderful role models for young girls.”

Italy open their Six Nations campaign away to France at the Stade des Alpes, Grenoble, on Saturday 11th April.

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11 Apr 26

Italy Women

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