Former Italy Women’s Head Coach, Andrea Di Giandomenico, is the inspiration for former international front-row forward.
Although Michela Merlo was a late starter in rugby – she was 26 before she played her first match – she quickly discovered that she had a natural aptitude for the sport and made rapid progress at club rugby, before finding herself in the front-row of Italy’s national women’s team.
It was playing for Italy that brought Merlo into contact with Di Giandomenico and sparked her interest in becoming a coach herself.
“Initially, I thought that, given my advanced age, coaching could be a good way to stay in the world of rugby and sport,” Merlo told World Rugby.
“Then slowly with the children and teenagers I started to have real satisfaction seeing that I was able to communicate with them and convey what I wanted.
“Finally, I was lucky enough to meet a coach who truly inspired me and changed my life and I understood the importance that the coach’s role could have both from a technical and social point of view.”
Merlo is now Scrum Coach for Rugby Mantova’s men’s team and manager of the club’s schools and mini-rugby programme.
She was a participant in the Gallagher High Performance Academy in 2023 and is back for the 2024 edition, eager to continue her development by working with and learning from other female coaches from across the rugby world.
“I didn’t see the possibility of undertaking a path as a coach at the highest levels in Italy. However, through the Gallagher High Performance Academy I managed to identify my own strengths and consolidate them; as well as my weaknesses – what to focus on and how to overcome them” she said.
“Through my involvement in the programme, I hope to improve my skills and get to know other rugby realities and cultures in order to be able to create my own vision as broad and critical as possible, and also develop my own philosophy of rugby.”
Merlo’s own philosophy will be influenced by Di Giandomenico – “when it comes to communication levels, he’s the best,” she said – and also the variety that coaching brings.
“What I like about coaching is the organisational part that takes place during the course of the week, month and season,” she said.
“Also the relationships that are created with the players and the management of the group and the fact that it is a job in continuous evolution and change. It varies according to the group, age and level and needs to be adapted. It is never a static job, but in constant evolution.”