Rigoni praises Sale and 'very calm' team mate who 'plays as if time has stopped'

New team-mates, new coaches, Beatrice Rigoni has seen a fair bit change over the past 12 months, but as ever the Sale Sharks and Italy centre continues to embrace the path rugby has taken her on, from a protégé to near-veteran status.

Much has changed at Sale Sharks, the team she joined in 2023, most notably Tom Hudson’s appointment as head coach in the summer as successor to Rachel Taylor. Hudson occupied a similar role at Leicester Tigers and moved to Sale with the aim of taking them up the table after they finished bottom of the PWR in 2024-25.

One of the things Hudson targeted was raising the team’s fitness levels so they would be better placed to succeed in the growing intensity of the PWR, and so far it has worked. The team is sitting comfortably in mid-table and within touching distance of the play-offs.

“Tom has managed to raise the level of the squad, and he and the staff are very precise in what they do,” said Rigoni. “We are on a good upward path and are beginning to play the type of rugby that we are capable of.

“I took time to adapt to what the coach was asking of me, but now I am fine with it. The type of things he has done to help the squad are things we can all use. It has taken a bit longer than we thought, but now I think we are all understand what we are doing.

PWR

P

W

L

D

PF

PA

PD

BP T

BP-7

BP

Total

1

Saracens Women

12

11

1

0

55

2

Gloucester-Hartpury Women RFC

11

11

0

0

55

3

Exeter Chiefs Women

12

5

4

3

36

4

Harlequins Women

12

5

6

1

34

5

Trailfinders Women

11

4

5

2

32

6

Sale Sharks Women

12

4

7

1

28

7

Bristol Bears Women

12

4

7

1

25

8

Loughborough Lightning

11

3

6

2

25

9

Leicester Tigers Women

11

0

11

0

1

“He has brought a new and more intense type of energy, as have all the staff alongside him. He has pushed our standards up.”

As well as a new coach, a swathe of high-profile players have arrived in Cheshire, most notably England fly-half Holly Aitchison, who moved north from Bristol Bears.

Welsh international Courtney Keight, and Scottish duo Leah Bartlett and Rhona Lloyd also arrived at Heywood Road while England internationals Amy Cokayne and Charlotte Fray, and Scotland second row Eva Donaldson followed Hudson to Sale from Leicester.

For Rigoni, it means more competition for a place in the match-day squad, let alone the starting team. While she has often found herself behind Katana Howard for the number 12 jersey, the 30-year-old certainly appreciates what the new faces bring to the team and the way they have helped everyone improve.

“They are all players of a high level and have come and adapted to us as quickly as possible,” Rigoni said. “They are all incredible players, and it hasn’t taken long to fit in.

“Holly is a very, very calm girl. When she plays it as if time has stopped. She transmits this calm to the whole team and the feeling that she will do the right thing at the right time. Holly is definitely helping us to (get to) where we want to go and helps us in every way possible, especially with the experience she brings.

“We have very good communication between us. Every one of us has their own idea of how they want to play and are open about sharing that. With so much experience of the highest level it gives all of us the chance to learn.”

One person who has been constant during Rigoni’s time in north-west England is Michelle Orange, who alongside husband Simon is co-owner of the club.

Orange is well known for her hands on approach and is a familiar face at Heywood Road and their Carrington training base. One of the main things that she is driving is making Sale Sharks Women a well-known and well-recognised presence in the already-stuffed Greater Manchester sporting landscape, something that the Shark’s improvement will only help.

“Michelle comes and sees us at least once a day and she has her office here. It is a pleasure to play for her,” Rigoni said. “She is always here and she brings a lot with her energy and love for the club and the players. She is a genuine presence here and it is a pleasure for all of us and the club to see a women so deeply involved in rugby.

“We are all aware of how important it is that we are playing in the north, and it is something that influences how we work and what we do. It is good that we have the privilege of representing this club and while we may feel the pressure, it is only positive pressure.”

It is not only at club level where Rigoni has come under a new coach, but at international level too. In December 2024, Fabio Roselli caught everyone by surprise when it was announced that he would take over from Giovanni Raineri as Italy coach for the Guinness Women’s Six Nations.

Italy beat Wales in the Six Nations, and hopes were high that they could progress from a World Cup pool that featured France, South Africa, and Brazil. However, after Italy lost to France, they were caught out by South Africa’s quick start and despite fighting back after half time, they couldn’t close the gap, exiting at the pool stages.

With this year’s Six Nations approaching fast, Rigoni is confident that Roselli will be able to find a way to work the Azzurre’s back three of Alyssa D’Inca, Aura Muzzo and Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi into positions where they can do maximum damage.

“It was a disappointing World Cup because we weren’t able to show off the best of us,” Rigoni said. “We prepared well and worked hard but weren’t able to take that on the field. We are into a new cycle for the World Cup. We know what Roselli wants and what his playing vision is for the Six Nations.

“They are all fantastic players, they are starting to mature and I’m always ready to help them to develop. I have played for Italy for a long time, and I want to help them play as well as they can.

“Alyssa is definitely a talent. She is a natural born player and the better the opponent, the better she is. We need to give her freedom as she is a prolific player, and she is becoming a point of strength. She just needs that confidence and when she has it, she will become one of the best.”

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