Italian prop Silvia Turani distinctly remembers being sat down by her parents, when a rugby-mad student, and urged to “stop playing” this “dangerous sport” and remember rugby is “not a career”.
Now, eight years later she cannot wait to run out in front of a packed York Community Stadium on Sunday for a critical pool-stage match at one of the biggest women’s sports events ever.
The fact her mum and dad will be her loudest supporters only increases the size of Turani’s grin.
“I remember a family lunch, a couple of months into my rugby, let’s say, career (which was probably more a hobby) being sat down by them with my brother, who also played at the time, [and them] being like, ‘Look, both of you, just stop playing. Rugby is a really dangerous sport. We just want you to stop playing rugby.’,” Turani laughed, ahead of the Pool D clash v South Africa, kick-off 15.30.
The intervention came with Turani in her last year at university, a time when her parents felt she should have been looking for jobs. But the then 22-year-old had other ideas, opting to stay in her student city of Parma to pursue her true passion.
“I think that was where they were really challenging me: ‘Silvia, you are forgetting that rugby is a sport not a career.’,”Turani recalled. “At that point they weren’t, let’s say, really supportive, and they challenged me a lot on that.”
In the end, it took a serious injury ahead of RWC 2021 to change Signor and Signora Turani’s point of view.
“I did my ACL, and in order to recover, because I wasn’t covered by insurance in France (where she was playing club rugby), I had to go back to Italy and get operated there and move back in with my parents,” Turani explained.
“They saw my commitment because I would wake up at five in the morning, go to the gym, start working in my dad’s company, and then go to physio in the afternoon and go back crying every day because it was such a painful rehab.
“They got to see what rugby really meant to me, and that’s what I believe changed their mind.”
The duo will take their seats on Sunday, aware that after last weekend’s opening 24-0 defeat to France, their daughter and her team must win against an ever-improving South Africa. Both will be represented on the pitch.
“I only use one perfume which is Acqua di Gio by Giorgio Armani. It’s my dad’s perfume. I just started using that perfume as a way of being connected with them. I love smelling good. And then mascara. I truly believe that if you feel pretty and beautiful, you play better. Look good, feel good, play good,” said the prop, before adding, with another laugh:
“My mum said she has a T-shirt to surprise me, so we’ll see what the T-shirt is.”
With that sorted, the 30-year-old, who is set to win cap number 46 on Sunday, turned her attention to what she needs to do to ensure mum and dad have the best possible time in York.
“We played them in South Africa last year and the year before, so we already know how the collisions are and how big they are. So that’s definitely one of the focuses. I’d say when it’s our turn in defence we know we need to get low,” Turani said.
“And in attack, with them being a really physical team, our strength is being unpredictable and being able to move the ball and create something from nowhere.”