Ponte Buggianese Rioni Tournament

A popular tradition that divides and unites Ponte Buggianese

The Rioni Tournament is one of the most anticipated events of the year in Ponte Buggianese, a town in the Valdinievole area in the province of Pistoia, in the heart of Tuscany. For a few weeks, between late May and mid-June, the town divides along its district lines and gathers every evening at the Sandro Pertini Municipal Stadium to cheer for its team. It is one of those local festivals where sport becomes a pretext for coming together: a playful rivalry that, match after match, ends up uniting the entire community.

Four districts on the pitch

The event pits the four districts that make up the town against each other:

• Anchione Vione - defending champion of the recent editions;
• Casabianca (including Albinatico and Fattoria);
• Centro Nord;
• Centro Sud (including Borghino).

In the nineties, there were six participating districts, but with the return of the tournament, some areas like Albinatico, Fattoria, and Vione merged with neighboring districts, bringing the competition to its current four-team format.

How the challenge works

The formula is simple and well-tested: a single round-robin tournament, where each district faces all the others, followed by two finals. The two teams finishing the round-robin with the most points compete for the title, while the other two play the final for third and fourth place. All matches are played at night, at 9:15 PM, on Wednesday and Friday evenings, when the stadium stands fill with fans of all ages.

From its nineties origins to the 2024 comeback

The tournament was conceived in the early nineties and for a few seasons represented a regular fixture for the town, before being abandoned for about two decades. In 2024, prompted by the Ponte Buggianese municipal sports department, the event was brought back to life and immediately enjoyed great public success. Since then, the Anchione Vione district, led by coach Pietro Banditori, has established itself as the team to beat, winning both the 2024 and 2025 editions.

An event for the whole town

More than just a sports competition, the Rioni Tournament is a festival that involves families, young people, and the elderly in a shared passion for football and pride in their district. It is an opportunity to meet up, rekindle old local rivalries, and experience the town during the warm early summer evenings, in one of the most genuine traditions of the Valdinievole.