Italy ended this year’s Six Nations disappointed and frustrated in equal measure. The performances were certainly more positive and a points difference of -60 was the best in a decade, but still not enough for Italy to avoid bringing home the wooden spoon. The thought of meeting hosts France and the formidable All Blacks at the World Cup in 6 months doesn’t muster feelings of confidence that things will get better. Italy may be destined for their customary 2 wins and no quarter-final at this summer’s tournament, but over the horizon of 2023 there is a four-year cycle that Italy have be ..read more

  As we approach the start of the 2022 Six Nations we begin predicting who will be in Kieran Crowley’s first squad. He has some big decision to make especially with the injury problems that Italy have at tighthead prop. Another problem is the serious lack of game time that both Zebre and his players abroad are getting. But one question dwarfs them all. The question of Parisse. It was October 4th 2019 in the Shizuoka Stadium, Japan that Sergio 'Rugby God' Parisse last played for Italy. A game against the Boks that lives in the memory for all the wrong reasons. Simone Ferrari getting inju ..read more

As I approach the Monigo stadium I can hear ‘I love Rock and Roll’ by Joan Jett being blasted out at full volume. Before even entering, I can see, behind the wall of the ticket office, the balls kicked in the air by the players who are warming up in the pre-match. The atmosphere is peaceful as friends and families quietly wait to pass the entrance controls.  Once inside I am greeted by the typical scent of stadium sandwiches. But I'm on a diet so I settle for a couple of beers and find my seat. The temperature is cool and the public are heard cheering loudly even before kick-off. There a ..read more

 The national teams of Italy paint vastly contrasting pictures. Despite getting a fraction of the investment that the men’s team receives, the women’s national team has been consistently punching above their weight. Since joining the Six Nations (replacing Spain in 2007) they have avoided last place in all but 3 tournaments and managed the unbelievable accomplishment of 2nd place during the 2019 campaign. Whilst the majority of the team play domestically, they sit a very respectable 7th in the world rankings after briefly being 5th earlier in the year. Next they face Ireland, Scotland an ..read more

When you look back at Italy’s most successful periods on the international stage they coincide with 2 things. Firstly, a large portion of the national team playing at the highest standard in the English and French leagues. Secondly, a competitive domestic league that nurtures young talent and excites the fans that follow rugby at a local level. I remember a time when Martin Castrogiovanni, Carlos Nieto, Fabio Ongaro & Marco Bortolami were all playing in the English Premiership. While across the channel in France there was Sergio Parisse, Muaro Bergamasco, Mirco Bergamasco, Gonzalo Canale ..read more

So much has changed in the world of Italian rugby. Since Marzio Innocenti took the helm of Italian rugby just over 100 days ago we have seen a new national coach installed, Rovigo win the Top10, Benetton win the Rainbow Cup, the re-launch of the Pro14 & the U20s impressing in their delayed Six Nations Championship. All of this has been followed by a flurry of moves that has seen players, young and old, moving into, out of and around the country. So much has happened that it would be wrong of me to try and fit it all into one blog post. For this reason I’ve decided to split it into 3, start ..read more

The problems with Italian rugby are many and not easily fixed. In Marzio Innocenti Italy now have a president who will be looking at Italian rugby as a long term project. He is someone who has great experience at a regional level and will be particularly focused on investing and improving the domestic setup. Both Innocenti and Franco Smith are clear that Italy require a long term vision if they are to become a true tier one rugby nation and Italian fans have to come to terms with the fact that improvements aren’t going to happen over night. There is no easy fix to these problems. Bringing Par ..read more

It’s hard to think of a worse Six Nations campaign for Italy. Five losses out of five and an even more damning average score of 11 - 48 against them. Franco Smith has been bold in his selection committing to blooding his young players. It can’t be denied that youngsters like Michele Lamaro, Stephen Varney and Paulo Garbisi have shown promise but that is no longer enough for many Italian fans who have endured years of Italy at least competing with teams before the inevitable disappointment. What was particularly disheartening about the Wales defeat was how the team had spent the two weeks prepa ..read more

So Italy ended 2020 without that long awaited win. But with the Six Nations (hopefully) just around the corner, my question is 'how likely are they to pull it off in the 2021 championship?'. The Italian national team enters the new year in a vastly different state than when it entered 2020. Whether you think he’s done well or not, there is no denying that Franco Smith’s short reign has wildly changed the landscape of the men’s squad. His willingness to blood young players at the highest level has resulted in the unearthing of undeniable talents. It has also provided him with a much larger po ..read more

  A lot has changed in the world and the start of the Six Nations back in February seems like a distant memory. A lot has also changed in the world of Italian rugby but first a special mention to a special person. Maxime Mbanda: Before I delve headfirst back into rugby nerfedy I need to write a little bit about Maxime Mbanda's heroism during the pandemic. If you don't already know then I urge you to read more into his story during lockdown. Shortly before the pandemic Mbanda had gained international attention after opening up about the disgusting racist abuse that he had received in I ..read more