The Italian Rugby Federation (FIR) said Monday that the players called to a pre-World Cup training camp at Villabassa in Alto Adige have returned to their clubs due to a row over the pay given for appearances in the national team. The FIR has said it will reduce the set appearance payment players get while introducing new bonuses linked to results. The Azzurri players are hostile to the move and a FIR statement that the training camp was abandoned after they refused to train or wear FIR garments until a deal was reached.
The issue sparked an ugly row between Gavazzi and the players earlier this year, when the FIR president justified the moved by saying he was "tired of pensioners".
He also stressed that he was not to blame for the Azzurri dropping to 15th in the world ranking after a Six Nations campaign featuring several heavy defeats, as well as a win in Scotland.
That led the national team players to launch a social media campaign demanding respect. "I'm disappointed by the athletes' attitude, not so much because of the current situation, but because this decision indicates a lack of desire to invest in their sporting capabilities," Gavazzi said in the FIR statement. "I remain confident that, as always, good sense will prevail and together we will be able to impose an important change of direction for the future of relations between the federation and the Azzurri, significantly increasing the focus on results achieved". Players union GIRA stressed that the Azzurri had been kicked out of the training camp and had not left of their own accord.
On its Facebook page, GIRA also accused the Italian Rugby Federation of giving an inaccurate portrayal of what happened, adding that the case could go to the "bodies of ordinary and sporting justice". The union also said that the players had been knocked back after requesting talks with Gavazzi.
"The prospects of success of the Azzurri campaign at the World Cup are awful and ways of healing the rift are not in sight," GIRA said. "All that (captain Sergio) Parisse and company wanted was a reopening of dialogue and a meeting in person with the president, who seems to have other more pressing engagements.
"Sending everyone home is a wonderful way to tackle problems and the tone of the federation statement was even better".
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