The Italian midfielder, passionate about rugby, realizes a dream by going to play a World Cup on the grounds of the All Blacks.
For Elena Linari, the joy of playing the World Cup in New Zealand goes a little further than football. At 29, the AS Roma midfielder is playing with Italy, who are competing against Argentina on Monday July 24, the second World Cup of her career. But this one, on the other side of the world, is a little more significant for her. Passionate about rugby and the All Blacks, Linari has dreamed all her life, or almost, of discovering New Zealand.
Elena Linari’s love for the oval ball comes from her childhood, and from her dad. Diego Linari played as much rugby as football in his youth, at school. “Rugby is a very physical sport, but also a gentleman’s sport, so I tried to teach it and make Elena understand it. Over time, I think I managed to transmit to her the pleasure I feel playing it”he says today.
Fed up with the oval, little Elena gets caught up in the game. Every year, the father and his daughter follow the Six Nations Tournament and push behind the Squadra Azzura. Elena Linari also develops a passion for New Zealand players. “When we talk about rugby, the All Blacks are always mentioned as the best team, so whenever possible we watched the games together”, relates the dad, who took the opportunity to educate his daughter, deciphering the rules, the tactics, the movements of the players on the ground. In an interview, Linari does not hesitate to cite Jonah Lomu among his sporting heroes.
The fern tattoo on the body
By extension, the player was also interested in culture and life in New Zealand. “Elena is a very curious girl about the things that fascinate her. New Zealand is a destination where several sports are practiced at a high level, that interests her a lot”abounds Diego Linari.
Bitten, she had a fern leaf tattooed on her leg, the emblem of the All Blacks, but also a Maori symbol. “She’s going to play in the stadiums used for rugby matches, and I know that’s going to give her an extra thrill”he is moved. “I feel so happy to go play a World Cup in the country of the All Blacks”declared the player on the FIFA website last March.
“When the team qualified for the World Cup and knew they would play in New Zealand, Elena thought she could meet players, or at least see them play at home”remembers her father, who feared that his daughter would not be able to realize her dream because of all her commitments on the spot.
Saturday July 15, Elena Linari was present with a few teammates in the bays of Mount Smart Stadium to watch the Rugby Championship match between New Zealand and South Africa. Before launching her own World Cup at the legendary Eden Park, about ten kilometers away.