Rugby and Finance: Pietro’s Passions

It was classic love at first sight. Pietro was seven years old returning from his friend’s confirmation party when he and his father stopped to watch a practice session of his city’s rugby team, the Knights of Prato. When it was over, one of the coaches invited him to try his hand with the strange oval ball, so different and difficult to manage compared to the soccer ball that he was used to playing with up until that point. Since then, he has never stopped. Pietro Innocenti is now 21 years old, and is currently completing his second year in the Economics and Finance degree program at Bocconi. He plays back row in the Serie A league, part of the ASD Rugby Milan team led by its President and Bocconi Professor, Stefano Baia Curioni. “When I decided to enroll in Bocconi and move to Milan, I thought I would stop playing,” says Pietro, “but then I was presented with this opportunity and decided to go for it. I am very happy with my decision.” He likes a lot of aspects about rugby. “I specifically enjoy the atmosphere of mutual respect that exists among all the members: players, coaches and referees,” he continues, “Additionally, Milan was described to me as cold towards the sport, but – in reality – there is fiery passion in the city, especially when we play other Milan teams. The games are really exciting.” So Pietro blends in well in the rugby environment, so much so that he prefers it to skiing, another sport in which he excelled as a child. “I continued with the two sports at a competitive level for a few years, then I made my decision. I prefer team sports; a group is created that then remains close even afterward. My closest friends are current and former teammates.” Just recently, Pietro – who was also drafted by the National Under-20 Team – received some tempting offers, even one from Colorno in the Serie A Elite, or the top Italian league. However, he declined: “That would be too challenging, even from a logistical point of view. Right now my priority is university; until the end of my Bachelor degree, it will be like this. In addition, I am doing well in my current team; only a truly irrevocable offer could sway me.” He says about his future: “Let me start by saying that I intend on playing and studying at the same time, given that I have always done it and I am used to it.” There is the gilded and complex world of finance – the large investment banks, those with offices in every corner of the world: “I would like to work in this environment, but I still am unsure. I definitely would like to go abroad, maybe for my Master degree. My preferred destinations would be the United States or major European capitals, such as London and Paris.” His focus right now is on the present in Milan: “I still have a year and a half to finish my Bachelor degree, and in the meantime try, along with my teammates, to always improve. Next year we will probably play in a higher league, and it will be even more challenging. Then we will see. My sister studied in Milan at the Polytechnic University, and now she is in Paris; maybe I will join her.”