For more than 20 years, FORUM IULII RUGBY has been actively engaged in the development and promotion of Rugby in the northeast Italian region of Friuli Venezia Giulia.
Formed as an independent sporting association, our focus from the outset was to create new and innovative regional Rugby initiatives to encourage greater participation in the sport.
Infact it was one such innovative idea that led us in 1994 to organise the first Beach Rugby tournament in Lignano Sabbiadoro. The move to SAND, away from the traditional rugby surface of GRASS, was seen as one possible way to introduce some of the basic concepts of Rugby.
It was an instant hit and very quickly it became evident that sport loving Italians had an appetite for this unique format. Indeed so hungry were they, that the movement to promote these summertime beach events gathered pace all over Italy.
In 1997, only 3 short years later, the Federazione Italiana Rugby responded to growing appeals for beach recognition by delegating the Lega Italiana Beach Rugby (L.I.B.R) to set up the first official National League of Beach Rugby. FORUM IULII RUGBY was one of the founding members of the LIBR.
With the successful development of the Italian National Beach League underway, FORUM IULII RUGBY continued to set its sights towards an even higher goal, that of putting BEACH 5s Rugby on an International stage. This would take another couple of years in the melting pot.
But finally, in 2001, the adventurous decision was taken and the new SUPER BEACH 5s RUGBY initiative was launched with the 1st Lignano International Cup taking place at Lignano Sabbiadoro on Italy’s Adriatic coast.
If you build it, they will come. And they did and they still are.
Time flies when you’re having fun and so this year, 2017, will see the 17th consecutive staging of the Lignano International Cup, which by now has become the most prestigious International Beach 5’s tournament in Europe and indeed far beyond. This is the spiritual home of International SUPER BEACH 5s RUGBY and it’s seen as a benchmark for the organisation of similar tournaments worldwide.
As the leading independent campaigners for the international development and promotion of SUPER BEACH 5s RUGBY, FORUM IULII has become singularly recognised for their far-reaching vision and determination to grow the popularity of this sport at all levels.
And with official recognition for the sports rules and regulations being granted from the International Rugby Board (IRB) in 2010, let say that the party is only getting started.
