Business meets Rugby brought together senior executives, business leaders and figures from professional rugby in Budapest, exploring how lessons from elite sport can be applied to leadership, teamwork and communication in the corporate world. Daily News Hungary attended the event at the invitation of Confindustria Ungheria, an official partner of DNH.
The Executive Rugby Leadership Experience – Business meets Rugby was held on 24 September at the Novotel City & Budapest Congress Center. The programme combined discussions, interactive workshops and team exercises, bringing together members of Hungary’s international business community and representatives of Benetton Rugby.
According to Confindustria Ungheria, the event was designed primarily for CEOs and senior executives, with a focus on leadership, teamwork and performance.
Business meets Rugby connects sport and corporate leadership
Rather than concentrating on rugby as a sport, the programme used situations familiar from the pitch to examine challenges that also appear in business environments.
The afternoon was structured around three main themes: leadership, supporting the team and effective communication. Participants discussed what it means to lead from the front, why collective performance often matters more than individual achievement, and how rapid and reliable communication can influence results.
The programme also included an Executive Challenge, in which mixed teams of managers took part in activities inspired by rugby. No previous rugby experience was required, with the exercises instead focusing on cooperation and decision-making. What’s more, participants were able to practise the basic movements at an off-site venue.
A panel discussion later turned to the question of how principles developed in professional sport can be transferred from the playing field to the boardroom.
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Benetton Rugby representatives share their experience
Among the guests were Antonio Pavanello, president of Benetton Rugby and a former captain of the Italian national team, as well as the club’s marketing manager Fabio Rigoletto.
Former Italian internationals and coaches Tommaso Benvenuti, Tommaso Iannone, Marco Lazzaroni and Ezio Galon also participated in the programme, sharing perspectives from professional rugby and discussing the importance of trust, clearly defined roles and collective responsibility.
During the discussion, I asked what they see as the defining difference between rugby and other team sports. Their answer focused on one of the game’s most distinctive rules: the ball can only be passed backwards. This means that the player carrying the ball must always have teammates positioned behind them, fundamentally shaping how the team moves, supports each other and builds an attack. It creates a very different strategic dynamic from sports where the ball can be passed or kicked forward, making coordination, positioning and collective support especially important.
The formal programme concluded with a networking dinner, providing participants with an opportunity to continue discussions and establish new professional contacts.
Daily News Hungary participated in Business meets Rugby at the invitation of Confindustria Ungheria as part of the official partnership between the two organisations.
Beyond its sporting theme, the Budapest event provided another meeting point for Hungary’s international business community and highlighted how experiences from elite sport can offer practical perspectives on leadership and organisational culture.
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