Reds and Benetton to contest trophy named after Wallabies great

1991 Rugby World Cup-winning Wallaby Michael Lynagh will be honoured with a new trophy to be contested by the Queensland Reds and Benetton Rugby, with the partner clubs set to play each other on November 27 at Stadio Monigo.

Lynagh helped Benetton Treviso win a championship during the 1991/92 season, before doing the same with the Reds a couple of years later. But the Lynagh connection with both Queensland and Benetton remains strong to do this day.

Tom Lynagh, who started all three Wallabies Tests at fly-half against the British & Irish Lions last year, was a member of Queensland’s Super Rugby Pacific and Super Rugby AUS squad. Younger brother Nic is also in Brisbane, having trained with the Reds Academy this season.

Louis Lynagh has become a Test regular for the Azzurri, following impressive performances for the Italian club in the United Rugby Championship. To recognise Michael’s efforts for both sides, and the partnership between the clubs, the Lynagh Cup will be on the line next month.

“These are two important organisations in my life coming together in a wonderful union,” Michael Lynagh said.

“To have a game, and a trophy, in November is a great opportunity for the clubs. It will be interesting to see how it pans out for a couple of Lynagh boys, who are now at each club.

“After the 1991 Rugby World Cup, I took six months leave from my job and went off to play with Benetton. It certainly changed the direction of my life in a big way because I ended up marrying a girl (Isabella) from Treviso,” Lynagh said.

“In this professional age of play, go home, train, train, on to the next game, it’s great that Sam Cordingley and Antonio Pavanello saw the chance to provide players with something more which not a lot of other clubs are doing.

“From a rugby point of view, players of both sides will learn different ways of playing the game. The Reds will experience a new culture and have their eyes opened a lot to develop personally.”

Sam Cordingley, the Queensland Reds General Manager, High Performance, added: “It’s terrific to be able to announce that the match in Treviso will be played for the Lynagh Cup,” Cordingley said.

“It will be a nod to ‘Noddy’ and his time as an important part of the history of both clubs. It’s being carried into the next generation as well.

“The strength of rugby is the international flavour of it and we are really trying to lean into that as the Queensland Rugby Union.

“A strong point of the partnership is affording players and staff the chance to experience something different, where they’ll learn, not just in rugby but with a general life perspective.”

The Reds start their end-of-year tour against the Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights across two weekends in November, before making the long-haul trip to Italy. Queensland will face an Italy XV (November 20) and Benetton on November 27.