Maltese ref to control U-19 match in Italy

Maltese Rugby Union referee Steve Busuttil will continue to enhance his experience on the international scene this weekend when he takes charge of an U-19 Italian league game between Rugby Lazio and Colleferro in Rome.

Busuttil has been attending courses in Italy regularly for the past three years but Saturday's match will be the first assigned to him by the Federazione Italiana Rugby (FIR).

The FIR initiative is part of a build-up that leads Busuttil to the European Nations Cup match in April between Bosnia and Israel in Zenica.

Comitato Nazionale Arbitri vice-president Pietro Megha confirmed Busuttil's appointment on Saturday after consulting with CNAR head Giampaolo Celon.

This is a further step in the co-operation agreement between the FIR and the Malta Rugby Football Union for the development of the game on our islands.

Other initiatives include exchange tours between clubs and regular visits by the MRFU to Rome and Sicily. These exchanges offer an ideal platform for local players and officials to gain more knowledge of the game played at a higher level than ours.