The weekend of the May Day Bank Holiday sees the arrival at Parc de Pugh of a team of young Italian rugby players from the town of Belluno in Northern Italy.

To provide a quick geography lesson, Belluno is a town in the Veneto region of northern Italy. Located about 80 kilometers north of Venice, it is the capital of the province of Belluno and the most important city in the Dolomites region. With its roughly 35,000 inhabitants, it the largest populated area of Valbelluna and is one of the 15 municipalities of the National Park of the Dolomites of Belluno.

If you want to find out more about this beautiful town (and believe me, having just visited, and in spite of the prosecco and grappa consumed, it is pretty magnificent!), use the following link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belluno

Twenty five players, ranging from 11 to 13 in age, will be coming, supported by 28 parents and officials, to play games, in a triangular tournament format, against Brecon Under 12s, and our close neighours, Builth Wells. This is an exciting opportunity, and interesting event, that will enable players to dream of being the next Andy Powell from Brecon, the next Mark Jones from Builth, or for the Bellunese to aspire to the heights of the likes of Sergio Parisse - the world's best player? A point for discussion over a glass of vino rosso perhaps?!

The party will be arriving at Bristol airport late on Thursday evening from where they will travel by coach to Brecon to be greeted by the home players' families who have kindly agreed to host the Belluno players.

Friday will see the Italians children visiting Brecon High School mid/late morning (depending upon effects of late arrival the night before!) where they will meet with the High School pupils, have lunch provided by the school, and then, in the afternoon, they will have a training session with their Brecon School counterparts. This session will very kindly be taken by the PE teacher Mr Jon Watkins.

Friday evening is the much anticipated night of the Brecon RFC Mini/Junior Presentation evening. This always eagerly anticipated event will be added greater excitement by the anticipated presence of Jamie Roberts of the Cardiff Blues, Wales, and more latterly and with huge congratulations to him, the British and Irish Lions!!

Clearly, this is a not to be missed evening!!

As will be the following day, Saturday when, after a morning of leisure with the host families, the afternoon will herald the kick off of the games between the three competing teams (times to be confirmed). Brecon will be hoping to build on some recent impressive performances, where, having built up their confidence, they are able to play an entertaining brand of rugby!

Parc de Pugh will be very busy that day, as it will also see Brecon under 10s host the visiting Penarth RFC Under 10s!

Following the games, players, parents, spectators, and friends will retire to the comforting surrounds of the Brecon Clubhouse, where food will be made available for all the players, and our visitors, and drinks, as ever, will be available under the friendly welcome of our steward, Alan 'Coot' Howe, and his staff.

Additionally, members of the Aberhonddu Male Voice Choir have kindly agreed to come along and welcome our Italian visitors with their renditions of a few favourite hymns and arias!

Our Italian friends will be leaving on Sunday (late morning/lunchtime I believe) to return to their beautiful town in the fabulous setting of the Dolomites. Hopefully they will leave with fond memories of their visit to our own beautiful town in its special location, and also memories of a chroeso cynnes iawn oddi wrthon ni! A very warm Welsh welcome!!

The club, players, coaches, supporters and parents ,hope that you will be able to come and join us over the weekend, and that you will take advantage of this great opportunity to discuss, in whatever language you prefer, the relative merits of, for example, Mauro Bargamasco and Andy Powell , or just find yourself, after a few hours at the bar, fluent in all languages?!

Come and see Jamie Roberts, and also the best of Mid Wales against the best of Northern Italy!!

See you soon!! Welwch chi yn fuan!!

Forza Gallese!! Yr Eidal am byth!!