Figure skater Ilaria Dentella is a founding member of the inaugural Autumn Nations Series Supporters Club after becoming transfixed by Italian rugby.
The Milanese skater has become semi-professional at the age of just 18 and now has an astonishing 1.4m followers on TikTok.
The journey all began aged seven when she picked up her first pair of skates, starting a passion that has only grown since.
She said: “After practising dance for a few years, I wore a pair of ice skates at the age of seven and I immediately fell in love with figure skating.
“It has been a significant part of my life ever since and I practised it for about 10 years at a national and international competitive level, and then moved two years ago to inline roller figure skating, where I immediately obtained second place in the Italian junior championships.
“It requires many hours of training, as it is a very demanding sport from a technical and athletic point of view, but it also allows you to show the artistic and emotional side of the athlete.
“The goal is not just perfection in jumps and spins, but to achieve a perfect harmony of the athletic gesture with the music, expression and costume, in order to excite the audience.”
As a competitor herself, Dentella is all too aware of the commitment and the training that goes into reaching elite level sport.
She added: “As a sportswoman I have always been interested in other sports, obviously training daily for several hours I have never been able to practise others.
“I started following rugby a few years ago on television at weekends, watching the matches of the Italian national team at the Guinness Six Nations.
“I think it is a tough sport that requires a lot of grit and commitment, and therefore has some things in common with my sport.
“I like the team spirit, which is something I don’t really get to experience as I compete in individual competitions.”
One thing that has become synonymous with Italian rugby is the passion shown both on the field and of it, and that is something that Dentella feels a particular connection to.
She said: “I admire that although in the Six Nations, the Italian team encounters very strong teams with who are difficult to beat, the team never gives up and comes to the next match with even more determination and desire to improve.
“I think this is the true sporting spirit and the right way to improve and actually relates quite a lot to my experiences – losses must be accepted and analysis helps to improve.
“I am very proud of my beautiful country and of being Italian and I think that the true sporting spirit requires anyone who is part of a national team to do their utmost, playing with fairness but making the most of their possibilities.
“I have always felt a great emotion and responsibility by participating in international competitions in which I faced athletes of other nationalities.”
This Autumn Nation Series, Dentella is hoping to use her platform to get even more people supporting the Azzurri, while also hoping figure skating can attract more interest.
“I think I got involved as my Tik Tok account is completely dedicated to sports and in particular to ice and roller figure skating,” she added.
“The involvement in this event pushed me to deepen my knowledge of this sport beyond cheering for the Italian national team, for example, I looked for information about the strength of Italy’s opponents and their sporting history.
“For me this represents an interesting opportunity to learn more about a sport that until now I was limited to watching on television.
“I hope that in a reciprocal way those who have seen my videos have appreciated them, have become intrigued, and will continue to follow, through my videos, the world of ice and roller figure skating.”
