Solidarity with Third World causes, anti-racism activism and sensitivity to the effects of globalization are not characteristics usually associated with rugby.
Which is precisely why a group of Socialist oval-ball enthusiasts have decided to set up a new club in Rome - the All Reds.
"In Italy, rugby has traditionally been seen as a violent game played by upper-class or right-wing men who weigh over 100 kilos and communicate in grunts," explained scrum-half Giordano Domenichelli.
"This stereotype has marginalized the sport to some degree and it is totally wrong.
"After all, you play rugby with your feet and your hands but, most of all, you play it with your head".
The All Reds are out to prove that rugby can bring people of different nations, races and social classes together, both on the field and in the traditional beer-fuelled after-match celebrations.
Domenichelli believes the fact that rugby union maintained its amateur status until 1995 contributed to restricting the game to an elite.
He said it meant the game attracted the rich who had no need make money from it.
At the same time amateurism deterred working-class youngsters, who preferred sports like soccer that also offered them a career, if they were good enough.
Domenichelli explained that in Italy rugby has additional right-wing connotations because Benito Mussolini promoted the game during the Fascist era.
Mussolini thought rugby would instil the character traits he was fond of, like courage and combativeness, in young generations.
This is a vision of the game that the All Reds are aiming to smash.
"Fascism and violence have nothing to do with this noble sport," said Domenichelli.
"For us rugby is about dignified competition, not triumphalism, and facing difficulties collectively as a team, not the selfish pursuit of glory.
"On the rugby field there is a sense of fair-play and respect for both your team-mates and your opponents".
The All Reds play in the fourth tier of Italian rugby, Serie C.
Last year, they organized an anti-racism Sevens tournament in the capital and they recently toured Cuba, where they have helped fund development projects.
The club also runs a web forum - www.braincorp.it/allreds/forum/index.php - where players, friends and supporters exchange opinions about the game and current affairs.
Politics has been part of Italian soccer for some time, with many teams' fans adopting identities linked to extreme political positions.
Some elements of Lazio's support, for example, make no secret of their Fascist sympathies. Tuscan top-flight outfit Livorno have staunchly Communist 'ultras' (hard-core fans).
Italian rugby has not been politicized in the same way.
But until the All Reds were set up, the impression that the game is right-wing went largely unchallenged.
"We want to highlight another side to rugby and contribute to building a network of like-minded European players and clubs," Domenichelli concluded.
"Rugby is a game but it is also a form of politics, in the best sense of the word, just like any human activity is".
