In January, she debuted in the men's Serie A in a match between Amatori Union Milano and Calvisano. At the end of May, she officiated her first Serie A Elite women's final between Villorba and Valsugana. Next month, she will represent Italy as a referee in the inaugural Women's Summer Series at the Lanfranchi Stadium in Parma. A year to remember for the Brescia native, then.
Smussi's journey follows a path set by her father, Gianluigi, a former Botticino player who later became a referee up to Serie A level before retiring in 2006. Now a regional evaluator, he has evidently passed on his passion to the entire family: Beatrice's brother, Federico, is also a referee.
"I took the course and exam at 16 but only refereed a little until I was 18 because I was competing in giant slalom ski races, training with [Winter Olympics gold medal winner] Sofia Goggia and [World Championships silver medallist] Nadia Fanchini, whose partner was my coach. We grew up together at the Sci Club Montecampione," says Smussi. "Once I stopped skiing, I started focusing more on refereeing. After high school, I spent two years at the Academy in Tirrenia and continued with regional games, gradually moving up the ranks.
"I spent four years in Serie B, and at the end of last season, I was promoted to Serie A, debuting in January after being sidelined at the start due to a knee operation. It has been a fantastic year, far exceeding my expectations. I aimed to debut in Serie A and maybe officiate a few matches, but I ended up refereeing five men's games, seven women's games, debuting in the Serie A Elite Cup in Colorno, and officiating the women's final."
It's been a whirlwind, and even more so when factoring in her international breakthrough. She already had some experience of the environment, having witnessed it up close in a Rugby Europe-organised seven-a-side tournament, and the Women's Six Nations during the pandemic - England v Ireland in Doncaster - as an assistant alongside Clara Munarini.
"There were different sensations and debuts. Let's say I had hoped a little that I'd get the final," she laughs. "Now, I'm happy with this additional achievement, getting to officiate at the Women's Summer Series. When I first read that it would be held in Italy, I hoped to be involved, at least as an assistant, not knowing how the selections would be handled. My goal is to do my job well and see what opportunities may come in the future."
The Women's Summer Series represents a fundamental step for the development of the women's game, and the transition from U18 to senior rugby.
"It will be an interesting test, possibly even in the context of a potential women's U20 Six Nations. For us referees, it's great. We often take our first steps in the Six Nations as assistants, so having an intermediate step can help make that jump to the Championship. While the level of play might be similar, the overall atmosphere is not, with many more people, packed stadiums, media exposure, the first times being mic'd up."
Seven matches officiated in the Serie A Elite women's season, plus that final in May in Casale sul Sile, Treviso province, which saw Villorba win their second title. Smussi enjoys a privileged viewpoint on the health of Italian women's rugby.
"This year, I've noticed significant growth in various clubs, and that makes me very happy. There have been investments on the strength and conditioning side, and some clubs manage to field two teams for an entire season, which is no small feat. Fortunately, this interest from the clubs is growing and can only be good for women's rugby."
And what about Beatrice Smussi's future? "Rugby is a great passion of mine, though I don't think it will become my sole profession," says the management engineer. "I'm continuing to train in my field of work and hope that rugby remains a beloved passion. I hope for more appearances abroad.
"In the coming years, I'd like to get some assistant refereeing roles in Test matches or the Guinness Women's Six Nations - maybe with Clara [Munarini], who already has great experience and could be a significant help for me to start."
(Images: FIR)
