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Fiore Screnci a construction manager from Greenwich grew up in southern New Jersey as a kid playing football, but was destined to shine on the national stage in the sport”™s ancestor, rugby.
When Screnci was 18, his parents moved to Italy to retire in their hometown; Screnci followed his father and mother across the Atlantic and reseeded in Rome.
“I began playing rugby, that”™s what you”™d play if you played football here,” said Screnci.
Screnci would live in Rome for the next 17 years.
“After three months I made the national U-18 side for Italy,” said Screnci. “I went through all the ranks; U-21, National B, then National A side.”
Screnci would achieve 13 caps with the Italian National Team, playing against the likes of David Campese, one of the best players to ever suit up.
Screnci said one of the most interesting experiences that rugby allowed him was traveling in what were then Russian satellite states.
“I was traveling with an American passport in all the Eastern Bloc countries,” said Screnci. “It was pretty interesting at that time, even though I fell into it by accident.”
Though Screnci was involved in his prominent rugby career, he stayed active with a variety of business ventures. “I”™ve always been an entrepreneur, my whole life,” he said.
Screnci owned restaurants in Rome, a computer company and a computer game vending company. “The computer company was in downtown Rome, right around the corner from the Vatican and it was just coming to fruition at the time and that was great.”
When not playing on the national stage, or building businesses, Screnci played in the Italian professional league for Rugby Roma Olimpic. Screnci played both prop and hooker at the center of the scrum.
Screnci returned to the states when his then wife became homesick. “We moved back to the states and into Greenwich,” said Screnci.
Screnci began his career in the construction industry upon his arrival in Greenwich, eventually working at the management level for All Phase Construction of Bridgeport.
Screnci is now doing upscale independent jobs in Fairfield and Westchester counties.
“We”™re now working on large commercial and high-end residential construction,” said Screnci.
Screnci wasn”™t long in the states before he felt the craving for the longtime focus of his life, rugby.
“Playing for so long you take a break but at a certain point you miss the game and you need to get back in,” said Screnci.
Screnci sought out a high school program to coach and found one at Greenwich High School. Screnci would coach at Greenwich for four years before being goaded into a position with White Plains Rugby Football Club, first as a forwards coach and then taking over as head coach.
“I”™ve been with White Plains for five or six years now,” said Screnci. “Rugby as we know it here in the states hasn”™t been professional; it”™s still at an amateur level.”
So far Screnci, in his tenure with White Plains, has brought the team to a ranking of sixth in the United States, grown a U-19 program and created connections in high schools and colleges in the area to grow interest and recruit for White Plains.
Screnci”™s son Michael is reaping the benefits of the White Plains youth program and has begun to play with White Plains”™ B side, quickly following in his father”™s cleatmarks on the pitch. The young Screnci also plays for his college team at Quinnipiac, New Blue Rugby.
Screnci has brought White Plains to be currently recognized as a favorite in The Metropolitan New York Rugby Championship and a regular competitor in the Men”™s First Division of USA Rugby.
“It”™s a lot of personal fun and time to make this thing work,” said Screnci. “Working with the technical stuff, fundraising and achieving sponsorship is a full-time job. We”™re expanding the opportunity for kids to play. That was our goal to become one of the national competitors.”
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