Diego Domínguez

Born in Córdoba (Argentina) on 25 April 1966, Diego Domínguez is an international rugby legend. After making his debut with the Argentine Club “La Tablada Córdoba”, he played for a short period in a French team (Cognac) before joining Amatori Milano (better known as Milan Rugby) and winning four championships and one Italian Cup. With a Milanese mother – originally from Matelica (province of Macerata) – Le Marche region – he wore the Italian national team jersey for the first time on 2 March 1991 at the Flaminio Stadium in Rome, emerging as the strongest fly-half of all time. In this strategic role, he contributed to Italy’s success in 2000 when the national team gained entry to the Five Nations Tournament, later named Six Nations Championship. From 2000 to 2003, Domínguez took part in four editions of this historic championship, and played in three World Cups: the first in 1991, the following ones in 1995 and 1999.

When he played his last match with the Italian national team, his palmarès counted 74 caps and 983 Points.

To take part in the most important European rugby championship he moved to Paris and concluded his career at the Stade Français where he won four French Champion titles and one French Cup. In 2004 he bade farewell to rugby to devote himself to his entrepreneurial activities and to training and re-education projects aimed at new generations in vulnerable and socially disadvantaged conditions.

Record figures mark the ascending parabola of former Italian-Argentine number 10. To date, he is considered the eighth best international scorer in the history of 15-a-side rugby, with 1,010 points scored in 76 matches (2 with Argentina jersey); the second to reach 1,000 points (only 9 players in the world can boast this record); the third best scorer ever in the top Italian league, with 2,966 points scored between 1990 and 1997. He also won the South American Championship playing for Argentina, one European Championship playing in Italy’s national rugby union team, and was twice called up to the Barbarians, the Club that brought together the world’s best rugby players. However, alongside his excellent sporting achievements, Diego Domínguez stood out for his talent and technique, as well as his tactical intelligence and his soul. Quick thinking, fast action, control, courage, generosity and fair play epitomised his way of playing rugby: constant parameters of his individual style and extraordinary nature reverberated on the whole team.

The champion’s second professional life confirms his grandeurs: he is currently a commentator for Sky Sport and, above all, a coach and promoter of projects focussing on young people across Italy’s suburbs, from Scampia to Quarto Oggiaro. By offering rugby training and ad-hoc fields and facilities, these initiatives leverage sport as a social aggregation driver and a key opportunity for growth. Inclusion, education and training nevertheless inspire the Sport Camps that Domínguez coordinates inside Italian youth detention centres such as Milan’s Beccaria,  Bari’s Fornelli, and recently Naples’ Nisida, with the aim of transmitting the values of solidarity, discipline, team spirit, and respect for rules, while arousing hope in  young detainees and stimulate their desire for social reintegration.