Italy's rugby federation partners with city and state museums in Rome.

There is free admission to 16 Rome museums for ticket-holders of the 2019 Six Nations rugby tournament during the weekends of the three games being played at the Stadio Olimpico.

The Rome museum initiative is scheduled from Friday to Sunday on each of the weekends that Italy faces this year's visiting squads. The next edition takes place from 15-17 March, in the days around the Italy vs France game on 16 March.

The project, whose title IV Tempo Rugby e Cultura is a play on the “third half” so beloved of rugby fans, follows an agreement between Italy's rugby federation and the country's culture ministry.

The seven state museums participating are Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica - Palazzo Corsini, Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna, Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Valle Giulia, Museo delle Civiltà, Crypta Balbi, Museo nazionale degli Strumenti Musicali, and Galleria Spada.

The nine municipal museums involved are the Capitoline Museums, Centrale Montemartini, Trajan's Markets, Ara Pacis, Museo di Roma - Palazzo Braschi, Museo di Roma in Trastevere, Villa Torlonia, Galleria Comunale di Arte Moderna, and the Museo Civico di Zoologia.

The 20th edition of the annual Six Nations rugby union championship, which is contested by England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales, kicked off on 1 February and finishes on 16 March.

For details of the museum initiative see Italian rugby federation website.

Photo Il Sole 24 ore / Foto Fama / FIR.