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Italy national rugby union team

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This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Italy women's national rugby union team. For the men's rugby sevens side, see Italy national rugby sevens team.
Not to be confused with Italy national rugby league team.

Italy
Shirt badge/Association crest
NicknamesGli Azzurri (The Blues)
Italrugby
UnionItalian Rugby Federation
Head coachGonzalo Quesada
CaptainMichele Lamaro
Most capsSergio Parisse (142)
Top scorerDiego Domínguez (983)
Top try scorerMarcello Cuttitta (26)
Home stadiumStadio Olimpico
First colours
Second colours
World Rugby ranking
Current8 (as of 15 July 2024)
Highest8 (2007, 2024)
Lowest15 (2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)
First international
 Spain 9–0 Italy 
(Barcelona, Spain; 20 May 1929)
Biggest win
 Italy 104–8 Czech Republic 
(Viadana, Italy, 18 May 1994)
Biggest defeat
 South Africa 101–0 Italy 
(Durban, South Africa, 19 June 1999)
World Cup
Appearances10 (First in 1987)
Best resultPool stage (1987, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, 2023)
Websitefederugby.it

The Italy national rugby union team (Italian: nazionale di rugby a 15 dell'Italia) represents the Italian Rugby Federation in men's international rugby union. The team is known as gli Azzurri (the light-blues). Savoy blue is the common colour of the national teams representing Italy, as it is the traditional colour of the royal House of Savoy which reigned over the Kingdom of Italy from 1860 to 1946.

Italy has played international rugby since 1929, and for decades was considered one of the best European teams outside the Five Nations Championship. Since 2000, Italy has competed annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. In 2013, they were holders of the Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy which is played annually between Italy and France. Italy is ranked 8th in the world by the IRB as of the 15th of July 2024.

Italian rugby rose to prominence in 2000 when it was added to the Five Nations, creating the Six Nations. Initially on the receiving end of some heavy defeats, the side grew in competitiveness, recording a fourth-place finish in 2007 and 2013, and one-sided defeats became less frequent. The Azzurri showed respectable results when playing at home in the early 2010s: they defeated France 22–21 in the 2011 Six Nations; and during the 2013 Six Nations, they again beat France 23–18,[1] also defeating Ireland 22–15.[2] Until 19 March 2022, Italy had not won a Six Nations game since beating Scotland in 2015. However Edoardo Padovani scored a last minute try against Wales, to earn Italy their first win in 36 games, as well as their first away win against Wales and third away win in the tournament.

Italy have competed at every Rugby World Cup since the first tournament in 1987, where Italy played the inaugural game against New Zealand, but they are yet to progress beyond the first round. The team has developed a reputation for being a consistent middle man at the tournament. Italy's results, since the inception of a new group stage formula in 2003, have consistently followed a pattern of two wins against Tier 2 teams and two losses against Tier 1 ones (although in 2019, the match against New Zealand was cancelled due to Typhoon Hagibis and a draw was awarded as result). The current head coach is Gonzalo Quesada and the captain is currently Michele Lamaro.[3]

History

[edit]
See also: Rugby union in Italy

Early history: 1911–34

[edit]

The first match played by an Italian XV was in 1911 between US Milanese and Voiron of France. On 25 July of the same year the "Propaganda Committee" was formed which in 1928 became the Federazione Italiana Rugby (FIR) (Italian Rugby Federation).

In May 1929, Italy played their first international losing 0–9 against Spain in Barcelona. In 1934, Italy was one of the founder members of FIRA, today's Rugby Europe; the others were France, Spain, Belgium, Portugal, Catalonia, Romania, Holland and Germany.[4]

1945–85

[edit]
Lineup of the Italy national rugby union team vs France, 1975

World War II meant a hiatus for Italian rugby union, as it did in other rugby-playing nations. Post-war, there was a desire to return to normal and Italian rugby union entered a new dimension thanks to the help of Allied troops in Italy.

In the 1970s and 1980s rugby union made enormous progress thanks to great foreign players (John Kirwan, Naas Botha, David Campese, Michael Lynagh) and coaches (Julien Saby, Roy Bish, Greenwood, Nelie Smith) in the Italian championship. Even foreign coaches were and continue to be chosen for the national team, like Bertrande Fourcade and Georges Coste. In 1973, the national team went on a tour of South Africa, coached by ex-Springbok prop Amos Du Plooey. Tours of England and Scotland followed, as well as games against Australia and New Zealand, the masters of their day. In 1978, Italy first played Argentina at Rovigo, winning 19–6.

1986–99

[edit]

Since the mid-1980s, Italy had been pursuing the ambition of playing in an expanded Five Nations Championship. Consistently winning against nations that now play in the European Nations Cup (Romania, Spain, Georgia, etc.), and good results against the major nations such as France, Scotland, Wales and Ireland meant that they were often talked as strong candidates.[5]

In 1986, Italy hosted an England XV squad in Rome, drawing 15–15. The Azzurri took part in the first-ever Rugby World Cup match against New Zealand on 22 May 1987. The match proved a one-sided affair with New Zealand convincing 70–6 winners against a young Italy side. John Kirwan, later to become the Italy national coach, scored one of the tournament's greatest-ever tries for the All Blacks. Italy beat Fiji but lost to Argentina and finished third in their pool, failing to make the finals. In 1988, they played Ireland for the first time.

At the 1991 World Cup, Italy were grouped in a tough pool with the likes of England and the All Blacks. They lost both of these games but beat the USA. Italy first played Wales in 1994. At the 1995 World Cup in South Africa, Italy came close to beating England; losing 20–27, but recovered to beat Argentina. They finished third in their pool again below England and Western Samoa, but above the Argentines.

The current badge on the Italy jersey

The late 1990s saw the Italians build a formidable side and record Test victories over Five Nations opposition. In 1996, a deal between British Sky Broadcasting and the Rugby Football Union meant that England home games were exclusively shown on Sky. England were threatened with being expelled from the Five Nations to be replaced by Italy. This threat was never carried out as a deal was worked out.

In 1996, Italy toured England, Wales and for the first time Scotland, losing all matches. The team recorded two consecutive victories over Ireland in 1997; 37–29 on 4 January, at Lansdowne Road, and 37–22 on 20 December, in Bologna.[6] On 22 March 1997 they recorded their first win over France, 40–32, (in Grenoble). In January 1998, Scotland were the victims with Italy winning 25–21 (in Treviso); in the same year in the Rugby World Cup Qualifiers, they narrowly lost 15–23 against England at Huddersfield, but they argued for a try by Alessandro Troncon disallowed by the referee.[7]

At the 1999 World Cup, Italy were drawn with New Zealand for the third time and lost again. They did not win a single pool match and went home before the knock-out stage.[8]

Six Nations era: 2000–present

[edit]
Italy vs the New Zealand All Blacks at the San Siro with a record 80,000 sellout crowd, November 2009

Italy finally joined the Six Nations Championship in 2000 but their admission coincided with the departure of some of their best players. Nevertheless, they won their opening game against the reigning champions Scotland 34–20. Thereafter they struggled to compete against the other nations and their participation was called into question. The 2001 and 2002 tournaments were particularly disappointing as they did not win a single game. Coach Brad Johnstone was sacked in 2002 after an alleged show of 'player power'.

John Kirwan was then appointed coach. They managed to win their second Six Nations game in 2003, a 30–22 victory over Wales, thus avoiding the wooden spoon. They followed up by winning two games at the World Cup, another first. The tournament was, however, ultimately disappointing as the Welsh gained revenge with a 27–15 success. This, coupled with defeat against New Zealand, that meant that Italy were the only Six Nations country not to advance to the knock-out stage. Their third Six Nations win came against Scotland in 2004.

Italy, along with other nations, had made good use of IRB rules which allowed them to select foreign-born players if they had Italian ancestry or had lived in Italy for a qualifying period of three years. From 2004 they announced that they would only pick three such 'non-Italians' per team in order to develop their own domestic players.

In the 2005 Six Nations Italy finished bottom of the table again and failed to win a single game. Kirwan was sacked and replaced with Pierre Berbizier. Italy then went on a tour of Argentina where they surprised many by beating the Pumas 30–29 and drawing the series 1–1 (the only 2005 victory of a Northern Hemisphere team visiting a Southern Hemisphere team). However, the Pumas had their revenge when they visited Genoa and beat Italy 39–22.

Italy contesting a lineout with Scotland during the 2012 Six Nations

In the 2006 Six Nations Championship Italy performed strongly against every team, leading against both England and France in the first half, but lost their first three games. They did, however, get a creditable 18–18 draw away to Wales, their first away point in the tournament, and were unlucky not to draw with Scotland in Rome in the final game, losing 10–13 courtesy of a late Scottish penalty. In the 2007 Six Nations Championship, Italy started poorly, losing to France 3–39. However, Italy's performance improved, and they held England to a 20–7 result at Twickenham. Italy followed with a stunning start to their match at Murrayfield against Scotland, scoring three quick tries to give Italy a 21–0 lead after seven minutes, and the Azzurri went on to a 37–17 victory; their first-ever away win in the Six Nations. Italy's next match was against Wales in Rome, with Italy winning 23–20, for their first consecutive victories in the competition and help them achieve their highest-ever position in the competition. The domestic interest in rugby reached new heights with Italy's new success front page media coverage and the sport being held up as a model of fair play.[9] Media and public interest in the national team was very high during the side's newfound success and on the final day a win could have seen them win their first ever six nations tournament,[9] despite losing their last game to Ireland. 10,000 fans later greeted the national team at Rome's Piazza del Popolo.[9]

The 2008 Six Nations Championship saw Italy again finish in last place, albeit by only a three-point margin. They took part in close matches against Ireland, Wales England and France respectively and managed a sole victory, defeating Scotland 23–20 in Rome in the last round of matches.[10] In the summer tests they lost to South Africa but again managed to surprise 3rd ranked Argentina with a 13–12 victory. At the 2008 end of year tour Italy pushed the Wallabies in their clash in Padova, but the Australians eventually went on to win 30–20. A week later Italy were defeated by Argentina, 14–22.

Italy's 2009 Six Nations campaign was ill-fated almost from the beginning, with both scrum-halves ruled out of the competition before a ball was kicked, and a third alternative ruled out of the opener at England due to injury. Head coach Nick Mallett tried flanker Mauro Bergamasco at scrum-half. Mallett's gamble failed in epic fashion, with Bergamasco's mistakes leading to three England tries before he was replaced at half-time; England went on to win 36–11.[11] In week two Italy also put in a poor performance against Ireland losing 9–38.[12] The two poor performances were followed by another loss to Scotland. The Azzurri were competitive in their 15–20 loss at the Flaminio to a Wales side resting many of its key players for the championship decider against Ireland the next week.[13] Italy finished in last place for the second straight year after losing to France on the final weekend of the tournament.

In the 2010 Six Nations Championship, Italy were well beaten by Ireland 11–29 before narrowly losing to England and defeating Scotland.[14][15] Italy were defeated in their last two matches against France and Wales.[16]

Italian fans on their way to see Italy play Scotland at Murrayfield in the Six Nations Championship, 2013

Italy finished the 2011 Six Nations with a 1–4 record. In the opening match of the 2011 Six Nations, Italy was beaten by Ireland 11–13 at home, with Ireland scoring a drop goal less than two minutes before the final whistle. The Azzurri claimed a 22–21 home victory over the reigning Six Nations champions, France, gaining Italy's first win over France in a Six Nations game.[17] At the final whistle, the English language commentator declared it the greatest win in Italian rugby history thus far.

Italy finished the 2012 Six Nations in fifth place with a 1–4 record, following a 13–6 win over Scotland before over 72,000 fans at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. Italy's 15–19 loss to England was their smallest margin of defeat. The championship also saw Italy lose to Wales, Ireland and France.[18]

Italy played three matches in the 2012 November internationals, losing two and winning one. Italy lost to New Zealand and Australia 19–22, with Italian fly half Luciano Orquera missing a penalty in the last minute which would have secured Italy's first draw against Australia.[19] Italy did manage a win in the series, beating Tonga 28–23.[20]

Italy gained their second Six Nations win over France when they beat them 23–18 on their opening match of the 2013 Six Nations Championship.[21] Three defeats by Scotland, Wales and England followed.[22] On their final game of the championship Italy won against Ireland 22–15 for the first time in a Six Nations match in front of 75,000 fans at the Stadio Olimpico.[23][24] Overall Italy finished fourth,[25] behind Scotland in third on points difference, to make it one of their most successful Six Nations.[26] In November 2013, Italy hosted Australia at Turin for a 20–50 loss, then defeated Fiji 37–31 at Cremona and was defeated by Argentina 14–19 at Rome.

Italy were whitewashed at the 2014 Six Nations Championship, including a 20–21 home loss to Scotland, a 7–46 loss to Ireland and an 11–52 loss to England. In June the team made an Asia-Pacific tour, where they were defeated by Fiji, Japan and Samoa. In November they scored a home win to Samoa, a two-point loss to Argentina and another loss to South Africa.

In the 2015 Six Nations Championship, Italy took a 22–19 away win over Scotland to avoid the wooden spoon, but suffered heavy home losses to France and Wales. At the 2015 Rugby World Cup, they defeated Romania and Canada but lost to Ireland and France, repeating their performance of the previous three editions.

After another poor performance in 2016, losing all their Six Nations matches, Italy hired former Ireland international and Harlequin F.C. coach Conor O'Shea to coach the team; with him they also hired IRFU developmental director Stephen Aboud to direct youth programs aimed at strengthening the level of rugby in the country.[27] In June, Italy lost to Argentina and won over the United States and Canada. On 19 November, Italy achieved a famous upset victory by defeating South Africa 20–18 which was Italy's first win against the Springboks in 13 attempts at Stadio Artemio Franchi in Florence.[28] This victory also marked their first win over one of the three big Southern Hemisphere nations (Australia, New Zealand, South Africa).

Italy lost all their matches in the 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 Six Nations tournaments.

Finally in their final match of the 2022 Six Nations Championship Italy earned an historic victory over Wales snapping a 36 match losing streak.[29] They scored a try in the 80th minute with the conversion the final act in the match to win by 22–21 at the Principality Stadium on 19 March 2022.[29]

During the autumn tour in November 2022, Italy claimed 2 victories over 3 matches, defeating both Samoa and Australia (28-27), claiming their first ever victory over the Wallabies.

Italy put in a fine performance in the 2024 Six Nations Championship, pulling off a remarkable 13–13 draw away from home against France in round three.[30] Italy narrowly missed out on victory when Paolo Garbisi's penalty hit the post after the ball had accidentally fallen off the kicking tee.[30] The following round, Italy beat Scotland 31–29.[31] This was Italy's first victory against Scotland in nine years. The 2024 campaign was Italy's best performance since the 2013 tournament during which they won two matches, against the French and then the Irish. Italy rounded off their tournament with a victory over Wales (24-21), as they did 2 years ago, and for the first time since 2015 avoided last place at the expense of their victim of the day, who inherited the wooden spoon. The win also represents the Italians' 4th away victory in the history of the competition, the 2nd time at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, but above all it gives Gonzalo Quesada's men their best result since the integration of Italy 24 years earlier (2 wins and a draw for only 2 defeats).

Wins against 'tier-one' teams

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Wins against Tier 1 nations have included:[32][33][34][35][36][37]

Date Home Score Away Place Competition
24 October 1978 Italy  19–6  Argentina Stadio Mario Battaglini, Rovigo 1978 Argentina tour of Great Britain, Ireland and Italy
6 May 1995 Italy  22–12  Ireland Stadio comunale di Monigo, Treviso 1995 Ireland tour of Italy
4 June 1995 Argentina  25–31  Italy Buffalo City Stadium, South Africa 1995 Rugby World Cup
3 January 1997 Ireland  29–37  Italy Lansdowne Road, Dublin 1997 Italy tour of Ireland
22 March 1997 France  32–40  Italy Stade Lesdiguières, Grenoble 1995–1997 FIRA Trophy
20 December 1997 Italy  37–22  Ireland Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, Bologna 1997 Ireland tour of Italy
24 January 1998 Italy  25–21  Scotland Stadio comunale di Monigo, Treviso 1998 Scotland tour of Italy
7 November 1998 Italy  23–19  Argentina Stadio Comunale Beltrametti, Piacenza 1998 Argentina tour of Europe
5 February 2000 Italy  34–20  Scotland Stadio Flaminio, Rome 2000 Six Nations Championship
15 February 2003 Italy  30–22  Wales Stadio Flaminio, Rome 2003 Six Nations Championship
6 March 2004 Italy  20–14  Scotland Stadio Flaminio, Rome 2004 Six Nations Championship
11 June 2005 Argentina  29–30  Italy Estadio Olímpico, Córdoba 2005 Italy tour of Argentina
24 February 2007 Scotland  17–37  Italy Murrayfield, Edinburgh 2007 Six Nations Championship
10 March 2007 Italy  23–20  Wales Stadio Flaminio, Rome 2007 Six Nations Championship
15 March 2008 Italy  23–20  Scotland Stadio Flaminio, Rome 2008 Six Nations Championship
28 June 2008 Argentina  12–13  Italy Estadio Olímpico, Córdoba 2008 Italy tour of Argentina and South Africa
27 February 2010 Italy  16–12  Scotland Stadio Flaminio, Rome 2010 Six Nations Championship
12 March 2011 Italy  22–21  France Stadio Flaminio, Rome 2011 Six Nations Championship
17 March 2012 Italy  13–6  Scotland Stadio Olimpico, Rome 2012 Six Nations Championship
3 February 2013 Italy  23–18  France Stadio Olimpico, Rome 2013 Six Nations Championship
16 March 2013 Italy  22-15  Ireland Stadio Olimpico, Rome 2013 Six Nations Championship
28 February 2015 Scotland  19–22  Italy Murrayfield, Edinburgh 2015 Six Nations Championship
19 November 2016 Italy  20–18  South Africa Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence 2016 Autumn International
19 March 2022 Wales  21–22  Italy Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 2022 Six Nations Championship
12 November 2022 Italy  28–27  Australia Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence 2022 Autumn International
26 August 2023[a] Italy  42–21  Japan Stadio Comunale di Monigo, Treviso 2023 Rugby World Cup warm-up match
9 March 2024 Italy  31–29  Scotland Stadio Olimpico, Rome 2024 Six Nations Championship
16 March 2024 Wales  21–24  Italy Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 2024 Six Nations Championship
21 July 2024[a] Japan  14–42  Italy Sapporo Dome, Sapporo 2024 Summer International

Furthermore, Italy drew 18–18 with Argentina in Lourdes, France on 22 October 1997, 18–18 with Wales in Cardiff on 11 March 2006, and 13–13 with France in Villeneuve d'Ascq on 25 February 2024.

Stadium and attendance

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Before joining the Six Nations in 2000 Italy did not have a set stadium and played their home matches in various stadiums around Italy. From 2000 to 2011 Italy played all of their home Six Nations matches at the Stadio Flaminio in Rome. The Italian Rugby Federation (FIR) announced, in January 2010, that the stadium would undergo an expansion, that will increase its capacity to 42,000.[38] Continued delays to the start of construction meant that the revamp could not be completed in time for the 2012 Six Nations so all of Italy's home Six Nations games were moved to the Stadio Olimpico, also in Rome.[39] The expansion of the Stadio Flaminio was originally promised to be complete by 2014. It was planned that upon completion of the renovation, the team would move back to the Stadio Flaminio,[40] however little was achieved and as of September 2016 the stadium was still in a state of abandoned disrepair.[41] More Italians are attending rugby union games and whereas before most of the fans at the Stadio Flaminio were away fans.[citation needed] Since moving to the Stadio Olimpico attendances have increased by huge numbers.[42] Italy has drawn large crowds since 2008, particularly for Six Nations matches and for matches against New Zealand:

The Stadio Olimpico in Rome, current home of the Italian rugby team
Highest attended home matches
Rank Attendance Opponent Date Venue
1 80,074 New Zealand 14 November 2009 San Siro (Milan)
2 80,054 Ireland 16 March 2013 Stadio Olimpico (Rome)
3 73,526 Wales 23 February 2013 Stadio Olimpico (Rome)
4 73,000 New Zealand 17 November 2012 Stadio Olimpico (Rome)
5 72,354 Scotland 17 March 2012 Stadio Olimpico (Rome)
6 71,257 England 15 March 2014 Stadio Olimpico (Rome)
7 70,000 England 14 February 2016 Stadio Olimpico (Rome)
8 69,869 Scotland 9 March 2024 Stadio Olimpico (Rome)
9 69,800 Scotland 9 March 2024 Stadio Olimpico (Rome)
10 67,529 France 3 February 2013 Stadio Olimpico (Rome)

Strip

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Italy traditionally plays in blue jerseys, white shorts and blue stockings at home. Its away uniform consists of a uniform with the inverted colours. Both uniforms have on the chest the Scudetto, even if until the 1990s the non-test Italian teams had the coat of arms of the Maritime republics on the jersey.

Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
1981–1989 Adidas None
1990–1993 Lotto[43]
1991 Rugby World Cup
1993–1995 Gilbert[44]
1995 Rugby World Cup
1996–1997 Reebok
1997 European Nations Cup
1998–1999 None
1999 Cotton Oxford
2000 Six Nations – 2000 mid-year internationals Canterbury Alliance UniChem
2000 end-of-year internationals – 2002 mid-year internationals Kappa
2002 end-of-year internationals – 2006 end-of-year internationals Jaguar
2007 Six Nations championship – 2012 mid-year internationals Cariparma
2012 end-of-year internationals – 2017 mid-year internationals Adidas
2017 end-of-year internationals – 2018 mid-year internationals Macron
2018 end-of-year internationals – 2021 end-of-year-internationals Cattolica Assicurazioni
2021 end-of-year internationals – Suzuki
2022 Six Nations Tournament – Bitpanda
2022 end-of-year internationals Vittoria Assicurazioni
1970s Home
1987 Home
1991 Home
1995 Home
1995 Away
1999 Home
2000 Home
2000 Away
2001 Home
2003 Home
2007 Home
2007 Away
2011 Home
2012-13 Home
2012-13 Away
2013-14 Home
2013-14 Away
2014-16 Home
2015 RWC Home
2017 Home
2017 Away
2018 Home
2018 Away
2019 Home
2019 Away
2021 Home
2021 Away

Awards

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Competition 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Total
Olympic Games 0 0 0 0
Rugby World Cup 0 0 0 0
European Nations Cup 1 9 8 18
Total 1 9 8 18

Record

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Overall

[edit]
Men's World Rugby Rankings
Top 20 as of 4 November 2024[45]
Rank Change[i] Team Points
1 Steady  Ireland 092.12
2 Steady  South Africa 091.77
3 Steady  New Zealand 089.67
4 Steady  France 086.96
5 Steady  England 084.43
6 Steady  Argentina 084.30
7 Steady  Scotland 083.39
8 Steady  Italy 079.98
9 Increase1  Australia 079.32
10 Decrease1  Fiji 079.07
11 Steady  Wales 076.04
12 Steady  Georgia 074.10
13 Steady  Samoa 072.68
14 Steady  Japan 072.31
15 Steady  Portugal 070.61
16 Steady  Tonga 068.12
17 Steady  Uruguay 067.39
18 Steady  Spain 066.29
19 Steady  United States 065.70
20 Steady  Romania 062.62
21 Steady  Chile 061.60
22 Steady  Canada 060.81
23 Steady  Hong Kong 060.40
24 Steady  Russia 058.06
25 Steady  Namibia 057.87
26 Increase1  Netherlands 057.29
27 Increase3  Belgium 056.51
28 Decrease2   Switzerland 056.04
29 Decrease1  Zimbabwe 056.03
30 Decrease1  Brazil 055.62
  1. ^ Change from the previous week
Italy's historical rankings
See or edit source data.
Source: World Rugby[45]
Graph updated to 4 November 2024

Below is a table of the representative rugby matches played by an Italy national XV at test level up until 23 July 2024.

Opponent Played Won Lost Drawn Win % For Aga Diff
 Argentina 23 5 17 1 21.74% 399 594 −195
 Australia 19 1 18 0 5.26% 279 658 −379
 Australia XV 2 0 2 0 0.00% 36 75 −39
 Belgium 2 2 0 0 100.00% 75 0 +75
 Border Bulldogs 1 0 1 0 0.00% 12 25 −13
 Bulgaria 1 1 0 0 100.00% 17 0 +17
 Canada 10 8 2 0 80% 294 135 +159
Catalonia Catalonia 2 1 0 1 50% 10 8 +2
 Cook Islands 1 0 1 0 0.00% 6 15 −9
 Croatia 1 1 0 0 100.00% 76 11 +65
 Czech Republic 1 1 0 0 100.00% 104 8 +96
 Czechoslovakia 12 10 1 1 83.33% 266 62 +204
 England 31 0 31 0 0.00% 380 1,224 −844
 England XV 1 0 0 1 0.00% 15 15 +0
England England B 1 0 1 0 0.00% 9 21 −12
England England U23 3 1 1 1 33.33% 31 42 −11
 Fiji 12 6 6 0 50.00% 282 275 +7
 France 49 3 45 1 6.12% 572 1,528 −956
 France XV 30 1 28 1 3.33% 289 751 −462
France France Espoirs 1 0 1 0 0.00% 18 21 −3
 Georgia 3 2 1 0 66.67% 78 67 +11
 Germany 6 2 4 0 33.33% 27 54 −27
 Ireland 37 4 33 0 10.81% 538 1,332 −794
 Japan 10 8 2 0 80% 325 181 +144
 Leopards 3 2 1 0 66.66% 55 46 +9
 Madagascar 2 2 0 0 100.00% 26 15 +11
 Middlesex 1 0 1 0 0.00% 12 28 −16
 Morocco 8 6 2 0 75.00% 184 52 +132
 Golden Lions 1 0 1 0 0.00% 24 28 −4
 Namibia 5 3 2 0 60.00% 174 104 +70
 Sharks 1 0 1 0 0.00% 3 23 −20
 Netherlands 4 4 0 0 100.00% 178 27 +151
 New Zealand 16 0 16 0 0.00% 157 963 −806
 New Zealand XV 1 0 1 0 0.00% 12 18 −6
 Junior All Blacks 1 0 1 0 0.00% 13 30 −17
 North-Eastern Cape 1 0 1 0 0.00% 12 31 −19
 Northern Free State 1 0 1 0 0.00% 11 12 −1
 Oxfordshire 1 0 1 0 0.00% 6 30 −24
Pacific Islanders 1 0 1 0 0.00% 17 25 −8
 Poland 7 6 1 0 85.71% 165 49 +116
 Portugal 13 11 1 1 84.62% 371 102 +269
 Romania 44 25 16 3 56.81% 711 654 +57
 Russia 5 5 0 0 100.00% 283 76 +207
 Samoa 9 3 6 0 33.33% 183 225 −42
 Scotland 37 9 28 0 24.32% 622 959 −337
 Scotland A 3 1 2 0 33.33% 51 55 −4
 Serbia and Montenegro 3 3 0 0 100.00% 60 22 +38
 South Africa 16 1 15 0 6.25% 195 764 −569
 Soviet Union 14 4 9 1 28.57% 171 165 +6
 Spain 27 23 3 1 85.19% 581 187 +394
 Steval Pumas 1 0 1 0 0.00% 12 39 −27
 Sussex 1 0 1 0 0.00% 7 16 −9
 Tonga 6 4 2 0 66.67% 190 96 +94
 Tunisia 3 3 0 0 100.00% 60 19 +41
 United States 5 5 0 0 100.00% 154 74 +80
 Uruguay 5 5 0 0 100.00% 147 52 +95
 Wales 33 4 28 1 12.12% 524 1,111 −587
 West Germany 14 13 0 1 92.86% 226 69 +157
 Zimbabwe 3 3 0 0 100.00% 70 25 +45
Total 555 202 338 15 36.4% 9,805 13,293 –3,488

Six Nations

[edit]

Italy entered the International Championship in 2000 when it became the Six Nations, and made a positive start by winning their debut match 34–20 against Scotland. They finished fifth in 2003 above Wales in the final standings, having defeated them 30–22, and were again fifth the following year above Scotland, after beating them 20–14. In 2006, Italy drew with Wales 18–18 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

Italy's first three Six Nations match victories, in 2000, 2003, and 2004, had been in front of a home crowd at the Stadio Flaminio in Rome. However, on 24 February 2007, they defeated Scotland 37–17 at Murrayfield for their first away win in the competition. Two weeks later, they defeated Wales for the second time, 23–20 back in Rome. This was the first time that Italy had won two of their five games in the championship, and they finished the 2007 Six Nations Championship in fourth place.

Italy won the Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy for the first time in 2011 with a close-fought 22–21 victory over France. Two years later, they lifted the trophy for a second time by defeating France 23–18. Italy also recorded a first Six Nations victory over Ireland in 2013, beating them 22–15, and equalling their best finish of fourth place in the final standings. On 28 February 2015, Italy achieved their second away win against Scotland, a tight 22–19 victory, and after a 36-match losing streak they won in Wales for the first time on 19 March 2022 by 22–21. Italy put in their best performance of the 2024 6 Nations tournament, with 2 wins (31–29 at home against Scotland, to win the Cuttitta Cup, and 24–21 away against Wales) and a draw (13–13 away against France).

As of March 2024, Italy have won 15 Six Nations matches: 8 of these against Scotland, 4 against Wales, two against France and one against Ireland. England is the only team that Italy have yet to beat in the championship.

Year Pos W D L PF PA PD  FRA  ENG Ireland IRL  WAL  SCO
2000 6th 1 0 4 106 228 -122 L L L L W
2001 6th 0 0 5 106 207 -101 L L L L L
2002 6th 0 0 5 70 183 -113 L L L L L
2003 5th 1 0 4 100 185 -85 L L L W L
2004 5th 1 0 4 42 152 -110 L L L L W
2005 6th 0 0 5 55 179 -124 L L L L L
2006 6th 0 1 4 72 125 -53 L L L D L
2007 4th 2 0 3 94 147 -53 L L L W W
2008 6th 1 0 4 74 131 -57 L L L L W
2009 6th 0 0 5 49 170 -121 L L L L L
2010 6th 1 0 4 69 137 -68 L L L L W
2011 6th 1 0 4 70 138 -68 W L L L L
2012 5th 1 0 4 53 121 -68 L L L L W
2013 4th 2 0 3 75 111 -36 W L W L L
2014 6th 0 0 5 63 172 -109 L L L L L
2015 5th 1 0 4 62 182 -120 L L L L W
2016 6th 0 0 5 79 224 -145 L L L L L
2017 6th 0 0 5 50 201 -151 L L L L L
2018 6th 0 0 5 92 203 -111 L L L L L
2019 6th 0 0 5 79 167 -88 L L L L L
2020 6th 0 0 5 44 178 -134 L L L L L
2021 6th 0 0 5 55 239 -184 L L L L L
2022 6th 1 0 4 60 181 -121 L L L W L
2023 6th 0 0 5 89 149 -60 L L L L L
2024 5th 2 1 2 92 126 -34 D L L W W
Overall 15 2 108 1800 4236 -2436 2–1–22 0–0–25 1–0–24 4–1–20 8–0–17
 
England
France
Ireland
Italy
Scotland
Wales
Tournaments 128 95 130 25 130 130
Outright wins (shared wins)
Home Nations 5 (4) — 4 (3) — 9 (2) 7 (3)
Five Nations 17 (6) 12 (8) 6 (5) — 5 (6) 15 (8)
Six Nations 7 6 6 0 0 6
Overall 29 (10) 18 (8) 16 (8) 0 (0) 14 (8) 28 (11)
Grand Slams
Home Nations — — — — — 2[46]
Five Nations 11 6 1 — 3 6
Six Nations 2 4 3 0 0 4
Overall 13 10 4 0 3 12
Triple Crowns
Home Nations 5 — 2 — 7 6
Five Nations 16 — 4 — 3 11
Six Nations 5 — 7 — 0 5
Overall 26 — 13 — 10 22
Wooden Spoons
Home Nations 7 — 10 — 5 6
Five Nations 10 12 15 — 15 10
Six Nations 0 1 0 18 4 2
Overall 17 13 25 18 24 18

Rugby World Cup

[edit]
Main article: Italy at the Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup record Qualification
Year Round Pld W D L PF PA Squad Head coach Pos Pld W D L PF PA
New Zealand Australia 1987 Pool stage 3 1 0 2 40 110 Squad M. Bollesan Invited
England France Ireland Scotland Wales 1991 Pool stage 3 1 0 2 57 76 Squad B. Fourcade 1st 3 3 0 0 83 38
South Africa 1995 Pool stage 3 1 0 2 69 94 Squad G. Coste 2nd 4 3 0 1 210 52
Wales 1999 Pool stage 3 0 0 3 35 196 Squad M. Mascioletti 2nd 6 5 0 1 302 92
Australia 2003 Pool stage 4 2 0 2 77 123 Squad J. Kirwan 1st 2 2 0 0 75 20
France 2007 Pool stage 4 2 0 2 85 117 Squad P. Berbizier 1st 2 2 0 0 150 7
New Zealand 2011 Pool stage 4 2 0 2 92 95 Squad N. Mallett Automatically qualified
England 2015 Pool stage 4 2 0 2 74 88 Squad J. Brunel Automatically qualified
Japan 2019 Pool stage 4 2 1 1 98 78 Squad C. O'Shea Automatically qualified
France 2023 Pool stage 4 2 0 2 114 181 Squad K. Crowley Automatically qualified
Total — 35 15 0 20 741 1158 — — — 17 15 0 2 820 209
  Champions    Runners-up    Third place    Fourth place Home venue
  • As a result of inclement weather caused by Typhoon Hagibis the 2019 match between New Zealand and Italy was cancelled and awarded as a 0–0 draw. It is not included in the total tally.[47]

Italy have competed at every Rugby World Cup since the competition's inception in 1987. Italy finished third in their pool at their first World Cup, defeating Fiji, but not making the finals. They did not make the finals in 1991, grouped in a tough pool with England and the All Blacks. At the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa, they finished behind England and Western Samoa, but above Argentina in their pool.

In 1999 they did not make the finals, with their defeats by the All Blacks and Tonga. Italy won two pool games at the 2003 World Cup, defeating both Canada and Tonga, but lost to the All Blacks and Wales. Italy played the 2007 Rugby World Cup in Pool C, against New Zealand, Scotland, Romania and Portugal (who had been beaten 83–0 by Italy in the qualifiers), with the goal of reaching the quarter finals for the first time. However, in the crucial group match against Scotland, Italy were undone by indiscipline. Chris Paterson kicked all of Scotland's points in an 18–16 victory, despite Italy crossing the line for the game's only try.

European championships

[edit]
Main article: European Nations Cup (rugby union)

Before 2000, Italy was one of the leading European teams outside the Five Nations, along with Romania, and for a while the USSR.

Italy competed in the original European Championships from 1936 to 1938, but World War II meant that the tournament would not resume until 1952. Italy then competed in these tournaments from 1952 to 2000. Italy achieved only one victory, the 1995–97 FIRA Trophy.

Team First place Second place Third place
 Italy 1 9 8

Thirties wins

[edit]
Year Host city Winner Second place Third place
1936 Berlin
France
Germany
Italy
1937 Paris
France
Italy
Germany

The fifties: the European Cup, Italian positions

[edit]
Year Winner Second place Third place
1952
France
Italy
West Germany
1954
France
Italy
Spain

The Nations Cup 1966–73

[edit]
Year Winner Second place Third place
1965/1966
France
Italy
Romania
1966/1967
France
Romania
Italy
1969/1970
France
Romania
Italy

The FIRA Trophy 1974–97

[edit]
Year Winner Second place Third place
1974/1975
Romania
France
Italy
1975/1976
France
Italy
Romania
1976/1977
Romania
France
Italy
1979/1980
France
Romania
Italy
1981/1982
France
Italy
Romania
1982/1983
Romania
Italy
Soviet Union
1983/1984
France
Romania
Italy
1984/1985
France
Soviet Union
Italy
1990/1992
France
Italy
Romania
1992/1994
France
Italy
Romania
1995/1997
Italy
France
Romania

Players

[edit]

Current squad

[edit]

On 17 October, Italy named a 34-player squad for the 2024 Autumn Nations Series.[48]

Head coach: Argentina Gonzalo Quesada

  • Caps updated: 17 October (as per squad announcement)
Player Position Date of birth (age) Caps Club/province
Tommaso Di Bartolomeo Hooker (2001-01-04) 4 January 2001 (age 23) 0 Italy Zebre Parma
Gianmarco Lucchesi Hooker (2000-09-10) 10 September 2000 (age 24) 25 France Toulon
Giacomo Nicotera Hooker (1996-07-15) 15 July 1996 (age 28) 25 France Stade Francais
Pietro Ceccarelli Prop (1992-03-16) 16 March 1992 (age 32) 33 France Perpignan
Simone Ferrari Prop (1994-03-28) 28 March 1994 (age 30) 56 Italy Benetton
Danilo Fischetti Prop (1998-01-26) 26 January 1998 (age 26) 44 Italy Zebre Parma
Marco Riccioni Prop (1997-10-19) 19 October 1997 (age 27) 28 England Saracens
Mirco Spagnolo Prop (2001-01-02) 2 January 2001 (age 23) 8 Italy Benetton
Niccolò Cannone Lock (1998-05-17) 17 May 1998 (age 26) 44 Italy Benetton
Riccardo Favretto Lock (2001-10-18) 18 October 2001 (age 23) 3 Italy Benetton
Dino Lamb Lock (1998-04-18) 18 April 1998 (age 26) 6 England Harlequins
Federico Ruzza Lock (1994-08-04) 4 August 1994 (age 30) 57 Italy Benetton
Andrea Zambonin Lock (2000-09-03) 3 September 2000 (age 24) 9 Italy Zebre Parma
Lorenzo Cannone Back row (2001-01-28) 28 January 2001 (age 23) 22 Italy Benetton
Alessandro Izekor Back row (2000-03-05) 5 March 2000 (age 24) 5 Italy Benetton
Michele Lamaro (c) Back row (1998-06-03) 3 June 1998 (age 26) 41 Italy Benetton
Sebastian Negri Back row (1994-06-30) 30 June 1994 (age 30) 55 Italy Benetton
Ross Vintcent Back row (2002-06-05) 5 June 2002 (age 22) 7 England Exeter Chiefs
Manuel Zuliani Back row (2000-04-26) 26 April 2000 (age 24) 24 Italy Benetton
Alessandro Fusco Scrum-half (1999-10-25) 25 October 1999 (age 25) 17 Italy Zebre Parma
Alessandro Garbisi Scrum-half (2002-04-11) 11 April 2002 (age 22) 10 Italy Benetton
Martin Page-Relo Scrum-half (1999-01-06) 6 January 1999 (age 25) 11 France Lyon
Tommaso Allan Fly-half (1993-04-26) 26 April 1993 (age 31) 80 France Perpignan
Paolo Garbisi Fly-half (2000-04-26) 26 April 2000 (age 24) 39 France Toulon
Leonardo Marin Fly-half (2002-02-23) 23 February 2002 (age 22) 11 Italy Benetton
Giulio Bertaccini Centre (2000-11-29) 29 November 2000 (age 23) 0 Italy Valorugby Emilia / Italy Zebre Parma
Ignacio Brex Centre (1992-05-26) 26 May 1992 (age 32) 38 Italy Benetton
Tommaso Menoncello Centre (2002-08-20) 20 August 2002 (age 22) 20 Italy Benetton
Marco Zanon Centre (1997-10-03) 3 October 1997 (age 27) 15 Italy Benetton
Monty Ioane Wing (1994-10-30) 30 October 1994 (age 30) 32 France Lyon
Louis Lynagh Wing (2000-12-03) 3 December 2000 (age 23) 4 Italy Benetton
Jacopo Trulla Wing (2000-07-05) 5 July 2000 (age 24) 10 Italy Zebre Parma
Ange Capuozzo Fullback (1999-04-30) 30 April 1999 (age 25) 21 France Toulouse
Matt Gallagher Fullback (1996-10-26) 26 October 1996 (age 28) 1 Italy Benetton

Award winners

[edit]

World Rugby Awards

[edit]

The following Italy players have been recognised at the World Rugby Awards since 2001:[49]

Six Nations Player of the Championship

[edit]

The following Italy players have been shortlisted for the Six Nations Player of the Championship since 2004:[50]

Coaches

[edit]

Current coaches

[edit]

Coaching history

[edit]
Name From To P W D L % W/P
Italy Arnaldo Cortese
England John Thomas 		20 May 1929 – 1 0 0 1 0
Italy Arturo Cameroni
Italy Luigi Bricchi 		29 May 1930 – 1 1 0 0 100
Italy Luigi Bricchi 1 November 1932 26 December 1934 4 3 0 1 75
Italy Luigi Bricchi
France Julien Saby 		26 December 1934 7 April 1935 1 1 0 0 100
France Julien Saby 7 April 1935 14 May 1936 2 0 0 2 0
Italy Luigi Bricchi
France Michel Boucheron 		14 May 1936 16 May 1936 2 1 0 1 50
Italy Luigi Bricchi
France Julien Saby 		1 January 1937 17 October 1937 5 2 1 2 40
Italy Luigi Bricchi 6 March 1938 20 November 1938 1 0 0 1 0
Italy Luigi Bricchi
Italy Giuseppe Sessa 		20 November 1938 19 March 1940 2 1 0 1 50
Italy Romano Bonifazi 19 March 1940 9 February 1941 2 1 0 1 50
Italy Luigi Bricchi
Italy Franco Chiaserotti 		9 February 1941 2 May 1942 – – – – –
Italy Luigi Bricchi
Italy Franco Chiaserotti 		2 May 1942 1 1 0 0 100
Italy Tommaso Fattori 18 May 1947 27 March 1949 2 1 0 1 50
Italy Giorgio Briasco
Italy Antonio Radicini 		27 March 1949 26 February 1950 2 0 0 2 0
Italy Romano Bonifazi 26 February 1950 29 July 1950 – – – – –
Italy Francesco Vinci 29 July 1950 4 October 1950 – – – – –
Italy Renzo Maffioli 4 October 1950 25 February 1951 – – – – –
Italy Renzo Maffioli
France Julien Saby 		25 February 1951 1 August 1954 9 6 0 3 66.7
Italy Piermarcello Farinelli
Italy Aldo Invernici
Italy Umberto Silvestri 		1 August 1954 22 December 1956 8 5 0 3 62.5
Italy Giulio Fereoli
Italy Aldo Invernici
Italy Umberto Silvestri 		22 December 1956 8 December 1957 2 1 0 1 50
Italy Sergio Barilari
Italy Aldo Invernici
Italy Umberto Silvestri 		8 December 1957 19 July 1958 1 0 0 1 0
Italy Sergio Barilari
Italy Mario Battaglini
Italy Aldo Invernici 		19 July 1958 10 April 1960 2 1 0 1 50
Italy Sergio Barilari
Italy Romano Bonifazi 		10 April 1960 22 April 1962 4 2 0 2 50
Italy Aldo Invernici 22 April 1962 8 December 1965 7 2 0 5 28.5
Italy Sergio Barilari
Italy Mario Martone 		8 December 1965 28 October 1967 7 3 1 3 42.8
Italy Aldo Invernici 28 October 1967 24 May 1970 8 7 0 1 87.5
Italy Giordano Campice 24 May 1970 25 October 1970 2 2 0 0 100
Italy Sergio Barilari 25 October 1970 10 April 1971 3 0 0 3 0
Italy Guglielmo Geremia 11 April 1971 27 May 1971 1 0 0 1 0
Italy Aldo Invernici 28 May 1971 19 February 1972 – – – – –
Italy Umberto Levorato 20 February 1972 25 November 1972 4 1 2 1 25
Italy Gianni Villa 26 November 1972 14 February 1975 20 6 1 13 30
Wales Roy Bish 15 February 1975 1º April 1977 15 8 1 6 53.3
Italy Isidoro Quaglio 2 April 1977 1º May 1977 2 1 0 1 50
Wales Gwyn Evans[citation needed] 23 October 1977 23 October 1978 5 1 1 3 20
France Pierre Villepreux 24 October 1978 24 October 1981 24 10 1 13 41.6
Italy Paolo Paladini
Italy Marco Pulli 		25 October 1981 9 November 1985 28 16 2 10 57.14
Italy Marco Bollesan 10 November 1985 4 November 1988 19 7 1 11 36.8
Italy Loreto Cucchiarelli 5 November 1988 29 September 1989 7 1 0 6 14.3
Italy Loreto Cucchiarelli
France Bertrand Fourcade 		29 September 1989 31 December 1989 2 1 0 1 50
France Bertrand Fourcade 1 January 1990 30 August 1993 27 16 0 11 59.3
France Georges Coste 31 August 1993 19 June 1999 48 19 1 28 39.6
Italy Massimo Mascioletti 20 June 1999 19 November 1999 5 2 0 3 40
New Zealand Brad Johnstone 20 November 1999 26 April 2002 27 5 0 22 18.5
New Zealand John Kirwan 27 April 2002 18 April 2005 32 10 0 22 31.3
France Pierre Berbizier 19 April 2005 30 September 2007 30 12 1 17 40
South Africa Nick Mallett 3 October 2007 30 October 2011 42 9 0 33 21.4
France Jacques Brunel 1 November 2011 31 May 2016 50 11 0 39 22.0
Ireland Conor O'Shea 1 June 2016 17 November 2019 26 6 0 19 23.08
South Africa Franco Smith 21 November 2019 19 May 2021 13 0 0 13 0
New Zealand Kieran Crowley 19 May 2021 31 December 2023 23 8 0 15 31.5
Argentina Gonzalo Quesada 1 January 2024 present 8 4 1 3 50

Updated 21 July 2024

Player records (career)

[edit]

Most caps

[edit]
# Player Pos Span Mat Start Sub Pts Tries Won Lost Draw %
1 Sergio Parisse Number 8 2002–2019 142 139 3 83 16 35 106 1 25.00
2 Martin Castrogiovanni Prop 2002–2016 119 91 28 60 12 30 88 1 25.63
3 Alessandro Zanni Flanker 2005–2020 118 92 26 20 4 31 86 1 26.92
4 Marco Bortolami Lock 2001–2015 112 92 20 35 7 29 82 1 26.33
5 Leonardo Ghiraldini Hooker 2006–2020 107 84 23 25 5 20 87 0 18.86
6 Mauro Bergamasco Flanker 1998–2015 106 90 16 75 15 30 76 0 28.30
7 Andrea Lo Cicero Prop 2000–2013 103 79 24 40 8 32 70 1 31.55
8 Alessandro Troncon Scrum-half 1994–2007 102 95 7 95 19 34 67 1 33.82
9 Andrea Masi Fullback 2000–2015 95 82 13 65 13 23 72 0 24.21
10 Mirco Bergamasco Wing 2002–2012 89 82 7 256 17 22 66 1 25.28
Luke McLean Fullback 2008–2017 89 75 14 74 7 18 71 0 20.22

Last updated: Japan vs Italy, 21 July 2024. Statistics include officially capped matches only.[53]

Most tries

[edit]
# Player Pos Span Mat Start Sub Pts Tries Conv Pens Drop
1 Marcello Cuttitta Wing 1987–1999 55 55 0 115 26 0 0 0
2 Paolo Vaccari Wing 1991–2003 65 64 1 112 23 0 0 0
3 Carlo Checchinato Number 8 1990–2004 84 74 10 105 21 0 0 0
Manrico Marchetto Wing 1972–1981 43 39 4 84 21 0 0 0
5 Alessandro Troncon Scrum-half 1994–2007 102 95 7 95 19 0 0 0
6 Mirco Bergamasco Centre 2002–2012 89 82 7 256 17 12 49 0
Serafino Ghizzoni Wing 1977–1987 60 59 1 77 17 0 0 3
Massimo Mascioletti Wing 1977–1990 54 54 0 68 17 0 0 0
9 Ivan Francescato Centre 1990–1997 38 38 0 77 16 0 0 0
Sergio Parisse Number 8 2002–2019 142 139 3 83 16 0 0 1

Last updated: Japan vs Italy, 21 July 2024. Statistics include officially capped matches only.

Most points

[edit]
# Player Pos Span Mat Start Sub Pts Tries Conv Pens Drop
1 Diego Domínguez Fly-half 1991–2003 74 73 1 983 9 127 208 20
2 Tommaso Allan Fly-half 2013– 80 60 20 501 15 89 77 1
3 Stefano Bettarello Fly-half 1979–1988 55 54 1 483 7 46 104 17
4 Luigi Troiani Fullback 1985–1995 47 47 0 294 2 57 57 0
5 Ramiro Pez Fly-half 2000–2007 40 33 7 260 4 33 52 6
6 Mirco Bergamasco Centre 2002–2012 89 82 7 256 17 12 49 0
7 Paolo Garbisi Fly-half 2020- 39 37 2 211 3 38 40 0
8 Luciano Orquera Fly-half 2004–2015 48 27 21 154 3 20 31 2
9 David Bortolussi Fullback 2006–2008 16 15 1 153 1 35 25 1
10 Carlo Canna Fly-half 2015–2021 53 28 25 152 5 20 26 3

Last updated: Japan vs Italy, 21 July 2024. Statistics include officially capped matches only. [53]

Most matches as captain

[edit]
# Player Pos Span Mat Won Lost Draw % Pts Tries Conv Pens Drop
1 Sergio Parisse Number 8 2008–2019 93 18 75 0 19.35 68 13 0 0 1
2 Marco Bortolami Lock 2002–2014 39 14 24 1 37.17 35 7 0 0 0
3 Massimo Giovanelli Flanker 1992–1999 38 15 22 1 39.18 15 3 0 0 0
4 Marco Bollesan Number 8 1968–1975 37 15 20 2 43.24 21 6 0 0 0
5 Michele Lamaro Flanker 2020- 32 13 18 1 30 10 2 0 0 0
6 Massimo Cuttitta Prop 1993–1999 22 10 12 0 45.45 15 3 0 0 0
7 Alessandro Troncon Scrum-half 2000–2007 21 7 14 0 33.33 25 5 0 0 0
8 Marzio Innocenti Flanker 1985–1988 20 7 12 1 37.50 8 2 0 0 0
9 Alessandro Moscardi Hooker 2000–2002 19 4 15 0 21.05 5 1 0 0 0
10 Ambrogio Bona Prop 1978–1981 18 9 9 0 50.00 4 1 0 0 0

Last updated: Japan vs Italy, 21 July 2024. Statistics include officially capped matches only.

Player records (single match)

[edit]

Most points in a match

[edit]
# Player Pos Pts Tries Conv Pens Drop Opposition Venue Date
1. Stefano Bettarello Fly-half 29 1 2 5 2  Canada Canada Toronto 1 July 1982
Andrea Scanavacca Fly-half 1 3 6 0  Croatia Croatia Makarska 6 June 1998
Diego Domínguez Fly-half 0 1 6 3  Scotland Italy Rome 5 February 2000
Diego Domínguez Fly-half 0 4 7 0  Fiji Italy Treviso 10 November 2001
5. Diego Domínguez Fly-half 28 1 7 3 0  Netherlands Italy Calvisano 21 May 1994
6. Diego Domínguez Fly-half 27 1 2 6 0  Ireland Italy Bologna 20 December 1997
7. Diego Domínguez Fly-half 25 0 5 5 0  Romania France Tarbes 26 October 1997
Pierpaolo Rotilio Wing 25 5 0 0 0  Denmark Italy Brescia 1 November 1997
9. Luigi Troiani Fly-half 24 0 12 0 0  Czech Republic Italy Viadana 18 May 1994
Diego Domínguez Fly-half 0 0 8 0  Romania Italy Catania 1 October 1994
Mirco Bergamasco Wing 0 0 8 0  Fiji Italy Modena 27 November 2010

Last updated: Japan vs Italy, 21 July 2024. Statistics include officially capped matches only.

Most tries in a match

[edit]
# Player Pos Pts Tries Conv Pens Drop Opposition Venue Date
1. Pierpaolo Rotilio Wing 25 5 0 0 0  Denmark Italy Brescia 1 November 1997
2. Renzo Cova Wing 12 4 0 0 0  Belgium France Paris 10 October 1937
Ivan Francescato Centre 20 0 0 0  Morocco France Carcassonne 19 June 1993
4. 16 players on 3 tries

Last updated: Japan vs Italy, 21 July 2024. Statistics include officially capped matches only.

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Japan was promoted to 'tier-one' status in 2020. The majority of Italy and Japan's meetings took place before that date.

References

[edit]
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  48. ^ Italrugby, i 34 Azzurri per le Vittoria Assicurazioni Autumn Nations Series
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  50. ^ "Player of the Championship". Six Nations Rugby. 19 January 2019. Archived from the original on 19 January 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  51. ^ "Vote for the Guinness Six Nations Try of the Championship". www.sixnationsrugby.com. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  52. ^ "Pani scoops 2024 Try of the Championship". www.sixnationsrugby.com. 3 April 2024. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  53. ^ a b ESPN, Italy Player Records, 19 September 2015[permanent dead link], Espn.com
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