URC, historic designation for derby-bis between Zebre and Benetton
On the weekend preceding the new calendar year, Italian rugby will experience a historic moment: for the first time a female referee from the Bel Paese, Clara Munarini, will direct a United Rugby Championship match, the derby-bis between Zebre Parma and Benetton Rugby, scheduled for Saturday, December 27 at 3:30 p.m. The designation represents a major milestone not only for the Parma-based match director’s career, but for the entire Italian refereeing movement. Munarini will be joined by Federico Vedovelli and Lorenzo Pedezzi as assistants, while the role of TMO will be entrusted to Matteo Liperini.
The path that has led Munarini to this appointment has been characterized by several significant moments, starting from the debut in the Trofeo Eccellenza in 2018, to the direction of the Men’s Italian Cup final in 2022. A growth and accompanied by international recognition, which has led the referee who will turn 36 on Christmas Eve to be part of the refereeing team in two editions of the Women’s World Cup and in seven Women’s Six Nations, consolidating a stable presence at the highest level. The year 2025 further boosted her profile with the prestigious designation as an assistant in the World Cup final between England and Canada.
The first of the two derbies between Benetton and Zebre, which are now traditionally played under Christmas, was played on Saturday, December 20, and ended 21-15 for the green-and-white Lions at Monigo, dragged by the goals of Ignacio Mendy and Nicholas Gasperini, as well as by Jacob Umaga’s kicks (one transformation and three punishments). The Zebre, on the other hand, had not been enough with heavy scoring from Giacomo Ferrari and Simone Gesi, with a transformation and a free kick scored by Giovanni Montemauri. In the standings, after seven days of the championship, Benetton is tenth with 13 points, two more than Zebre, at 11.
With Saturday’s derby between Zebre and Benetton, Munarini joins a select group of referees who have refereed in the URC: Scotland’s Hollie Davidson, Ireland’s Joy Neville, now head of senior refereeing coaching for World Rugby, and South Africa’s Aimee Barrett-Theron. As of today, alongside these names, there is also that of an Italian.
The Lanfranchi challenge will thus offer a double reason for interest: heavy points for the standings (eighth place is currently at 15 points) and a historic passage for Italian refereeing. For Munarini it will be a high-level test in an important context, while for the Italian movement it will represent a further step in enhancing the skills of its members.
