Rugby in Italy?

Question

I travelled back on a plane yesterday with the Italian Rugby Team on their way to Edinburgh and it started me wondering how on earth did the Italians start playing Rugby or the French for that matter. It is essentially a British game. Where it is played significantly in other countries there are colonial or clear migration links as with the Welsh and Argentina - but I am making an assumption on that one. Can anybody help?

Answer 1

I heard that the British communities who settled aroung Genoa in the early 1890's actually brought the english sports (football, rugby and cricket) to the area.

It was intoduced to France earlier, in the north of France again by the British however actually thrived in the south of the country.

I think most sports like football, cricket and rugby were 'exported' around the world by the sea merchants and when they landed in different ports around the world they occupied their spare time by challenging the locals to games and the sports spread from there

Answer 2

in italy it's a game played in the north and in france it's played in the south so i would immagine it just crossed the border..
i live in the south and people don't give a rats @ss about rugby..
i had to try and explain the rules to my italian in-laws in italian.. chuffin hard work...

just to add football came into italy at genoa importe by the english and genoa's football club are called genoa football and cricket club..

maybe rugby came into southern france at marsaille with the british navy?