London Scottish Academy Manager Corne du Rand and Community Development Officer Ross Peacock jet off to Italy this Friday on reconnaissance mission, hoping to tie up a new partnership with Modena Junior Rugby Club.

The scheduled trip to the Province of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of North Central Italy has been organised by Modena Junior Rugby Club member Enrico Messora and funded by his London based company Emilia Limited, which specialises in trading the finest organic Italian foods and wines.

It’s hoped a new partnership can lead to biannual matches between the clubs at various age group levels hosted both in Modena and Richmond.

Messora said: “Emilia Limited wants to invest part of our business in projects for young people in the UK and Italy.

“Modena is our home town where our cheese and balsamic producers are located and we want to offer new opportunities for the youth players and coaches at Modena Junior Rugby Club.

“We decided to turn to London Scottish because they have an excellent community programme and a great track record of bringing on young rugby players. I am excited to see how we can build close relationships between the two clubs, starting this weekend.”

Corne du Rand said: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank Enrico for helping make the trip possible.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for London Scottish to forge links with a rugby club in a country where the sport continues to grow in popularity.

“Ross and I will get involved in a number of coaching sessions and attend a rugby festival, passing on knowledge which has helped us grow the Minis, Juniors and Seniors sections at London Scottish as well as our Academy and Community programmes. 

“We hope our input makes a real difference and I expect we will learn a few things ourselves.”

Emilia Limited is an importer, retailer and wholesaler of the best Italian food and wine in the UK market. 

For more information go to their website, http://www.emilialtd.co.uk/