When Italian Gianluca Pomarico moved to Nelson nearly four years ago for a lifestyle change, he had never heard of rugby league, now it’s his passion.
Gianluca, who works as a chef at Stefano’s Restaurant in Nelson, was a semi-professional soccer player for the Monza Club back home in Italy. He likes keeping fit and trains regularly at Results Gym in Nelson and, while there, he met a group of friends who introduced him to the game of rugby league. He was hooked and started watching NRL matches, and thought to himself that he would like to try and have a go at playing the game one day.
Meanwhile, his new mates asked if he would like to have a run for their local touch football team last summer. Despite never having played touch before he showed good speed from his soccer-playing days and, coupled with his size, his mates thought he had the ideal physique for rugby league and encouraged him to go along to a league training session.
He trained hard and was asked to join the Wanderers Wolves rugby league team and has been playing on the wing ever since.
“I just love it, I love the contact, it is very fun and I really enjoy it,” says Gianluca.
When he first arrived in Nelson, he spoke very little English, but over the past four years he has improved and can understand his team mates on the league field. He is grateful to Wolves coach Laurence Kirdy and his teammates for helping him learn how to tackle and catch the ball instead of kicking it.
“It has been tough on my body but I have been training hard four days a week in the gym, plus league training and pool sessions, I love training, I like to go hard,” says Gianluca.
Not only does he love his new-found sport, he also enjoys the camaraderie that comes along with it.
“When you are on the field, all you want to do is smash each other, but when we are off it we go have a beer and talk about what a good game it was. It is a really nice community, my team is like my family,” says Gianluca.
