In the heart of Treviso, Verde Sport and Benetton Rugby are two concrete examples of how we interpret this commitment. For more than 30 years, these projects have promoted sports culture and social cohesion, thus helping to strengthen local identity and generate a positive impact beyond the playing field. Through sport, education and inclusion, they offer opportunities for personal and collective growth, consolidate a sense of belonging and create value for the local area and community.
Verde Sport: infrastructure, culture and access for everyone
Founded in 1988, Verde Sport is the company that manages La Ghirada - Città dello Sport, Il Palaverde and other strategic facilities in the province of Treviso. But its impact goes far beyond managing these facilities. Verde Sport is a driver of local culture and a meeting point for citizens, which provides free-of-charge opportunities for sport and socialising, thus helping to create an accessible and vital ecosystem.
Every day, more than 1,000 people visit La Ghirada to enjoy basketball and volleyball courts, rugby pitches, playgrounds and wellness trails, in an environment designed for people of all ages where you can play sports freely, make new friends, take part in cultural events or simply appreciate public space. In this way, Verde Sport strengthens the sense of belonging to the community and contributes to the regeneration of the social fabric through inclusion.
Initiatives such as Pool Crescere insieme nello sport, which every year introduces around 7,000 children to playing basketball, volleyball and rugby, and the national 3x3 basketball tournament, which attracts over 35,000 young people, use sport as a locally-based educational and participatory tool, aimed particularly at the younger generations.
Recently, La Ghirada has also hosted two important international basketball events: the Adidas Eurocamp, which was attended by NBA stars such as James Harden and Nikola Jović, and the NBA Draft Combine, held for the first time in Europe, which was attended by coaches and NBA scouts.
Verde Sport also promotes the spread of sports culture from an educational and professional perspective. The Master's in Sports Business Strategies - in partnership with Ca' Foscari University - trains new managers from the sports system every year, while the Stefano Benetton Library, housing more than 5,000 books and 1,500 university theses, is one of Italy's leading sports archives, which may be accessed by students, sports operators and citizens.
As well as enhancing Italy's sporting heritage, this investment in knowledge creates the conditions for lasting, widespread cultural growth, to the benefit of new generations and local communities.
"Our family's commitment to sport has always focused primarily on the social aspect. First and foremost, our sports mission has a social vocation for spreading the culture and practice of sport in local communities, especially among young people and their families."
Christian Benetton,
Chairman of Verde Sport
Benetton Rugby: top-level sport and community roots
Since 1979, when it was acquired by the Benetton Group, Benetton Rugby has been a virtuous example of how top-level sport can maintain deep links with its community. With its 15 senior championships and stable participation in the United Rugby Championship, the club has brought Treviso to international playing fields, whilst keeping its focus on the values of inclusion, participation and social growth.
With over 500 youth and women's team members, initiatives in schools and the promotion of rugby among youngsters, Benetton Rugby has confirmed its position as an educational and relational bastion, which strengthens local networks and generates social capital. Its focus on youth and sports training contributes to the development of soft skills, which are also vital off the playing field: discipline, cooperation and respect.
The City of Treviso Tournament, organised by Benetton Rugby, is one of the most popular youth sports events in Europe. Every year, 8,000 young rugby players, 400 teams and over 15,000 people, including families, coaches and volunteers, come together for two days of sport, sharing and celebration. On this occasion, Treviso turns into a workshop for social interactions, intercultural dialogue and community participation, which enhances sport, as well as the entire local area hosting the event.
Impact on local areas and people
The commitment of Verde Sport and Benetton Rugby has a lasting impact in various spheres:
- Social: it creates free-of-charge and inclusive opportunities for sports, training and socialising for thousands of children, young people and adults.
- Cultural: it promotes knowledge of sport as an educational, economic and relational means of expression through libraries, master's degree courses and graduation awards.
- The local area: it turns Treviso into a recognised sports and cultural hub, which attracts families, tourists, students, athletes and stakeholders from all over Italy and beyond.
- Community: it generates relational capital, which strengthens sense of belonging, trust between people, and collaboration between organisations, companies and volunteers.
