Nickname(s) | Le Azzurre (The Blues) | ||
---|---|---|---|
Union | Federazione Italiana Rugby | ||
Head coach | Giovanni Raineri | ||
Captain | Elisa Giordano | ||
Most caps | Sara Barattin (111) | ||
Top scorer | Veronica Schiavon (383) | ||
Top try scorer | Manuela Furlan (20) | ||
| |||
World Rugby ranking | |||
Current | 6 (as of 15 April 2024) | ||
First international | |||
Italy 0–0 France ( Riccione, Italy; 22 June 1985) | |||
Biggest win | |||
Germany 0–52 Italy ( Hamburg, Germany; 7 April 2005) | |||
Biggest defeat | |||
Italy 0–74 England ( Parma, Italy; 3 April 2022) | |||
World Cup | |||
Appearances | 4 (First in 1991) | ||
Best result | 9th 2017 |
Rank | Change* | Team | Points |
---|---|---|---|
1 | England | 96.18 | |
2 | New Zealand | 90.56 | |
3 | France | 88.00 | |
4 | Canada | 86.27 | |
5 | Australia | 81.61 | |
6 | Italy | 76.50 | |
7 | Scotland | 75.80 | |
8 | Wales | 73.41 | |
9 | United States | 72.57 | |
10 | Ireland | 72.35 | |
11 | Japan | 69.38 | |
12 | South Africa | 65.17 | |
13 | Spain | 65.15 | |
14 | Russia | 61.10 | |
15 | Samoa | 59.57 | |
16 | Netherlands | 58.98 | |
17 | Fiji | 58.65 | |
18 | Hong Kong | 58.31 | |
19 | Kazakhstan | 55.97 | |
20 | Sweden | 52.72 | |
*Change from the previous week |
The Italy women's national rugby union team (Italian : nazionale di rugby a 15 dell'Italia) are the national women's rugby union team that represents Italy at international level. It has been administered by the Italian Rugby Federation since 1991; previously, since its inception in 1985 up to 1991, it was administered by UISP – Unione Italiana Sport Popolari (Italian Union for People's Sports), an association which promotes amateur sports at every level of the society. The team competes in the Rugby World Cup, the Rugby Europe Women's Championship and the Women's Six Nations Championship.
On June 22, 1985 the Italian women's national team made their international debut against France. The match ended 0–0, they played again a year later in Bardos, with France winning 12–0. Italy scored their first points in their third match against France when the two neighbors met in Rome in 1987, France won 16–4.
In 1988 Italy participated in the first European championship organized in Bourg-en-Bresse in France by the local women's club. In addition to the hosts, the other two participants were Great Britain and the Netherlands. Italy finished last with three losses. The inaugural edition of this championship, while significant for being the first competition for women's national teams, was never recognized as official by FIRA.
In 1991 the management of women's rugby was handed over to the Italian Rugby Federation. Their first commitment was the selection of the team for the inaugural edition of the World Cup which was held in April of that same year in Wales. The Azzurre, after having finished last in their pool, were placed in the Plate quarter-finals. They had their first victory in the tournament after defeating Sweden 18–0 in the Plate quarter-final but lost to Canada 6–0 in the Plate semi-final.
The progress of the national team was slow. In their first 15 years of existence, up to the end of 2000, they played in only 33 official matches. In 1995 they came third in the European championship organized at home in Treviso, a result equaled one year later in Madrid, Spain. After a first round elimination with a sixth place finish at the 1997 European Championship, they finished 12th at the 1998 Women's Rugby World Cup in the Netherlands.
They finished 7th at the 1999 European Championship and 8th in 2001. They won their first Nations Cup title in Veneto in 2002 ahead of the Rugby World Cup, in which Italy finished in twelfth place. Italy won the 2005 European Championship which was held in Hamburg in Germany. In the 2006 Nations Cup Italy successfully defended their title.
In December 2006, the Executive Committee of the Six Nations decided to align the composition of all competitions of the tournament with the men's, which included England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, France and Italy; at the time the only difference with the women's tournament was the presence of Spain, which the committee replaced with Italy starting in 2007.
Rugby World Cup | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Round | Position | GP | W | D | L | PF | PA | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1991 | Plate semi-final | N/A | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 34 | 31 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1994 | Did not participate | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1998 | 11th place playoff | 12th | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 108 | 81 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2002 | 11th place playoff | 12th | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 45 | 121 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2006 | Did not participate | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2010 | Did not qualify | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2014 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2017 | 9th place playoff | 9th | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 75 | 117 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2021 | Quarter-final | – | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 58 | 79 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total | 5/9 | 9th | 22 | 8 | 0 | 14 | 320 | 429 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Italy | |
---|---|
Tournaments | 16 |
Outright Wins | 0 |
Grand Slams | 0 |
Triple Crowns | — |
Wooden Spoons | 3 |
Competition | Total | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
European Championship | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 |
See: List of Italy women's national rugby union team matches
(Full internationals only)
Correct as of 11 February 2023
Opponent | First game | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Percentage |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Belgium | 2006 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
Canada | 1991 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00% |
England | 1991 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0.00% |
France | 1985 | 26 | 4 | 0 | 22 | 12.50% |
Great Britain | 1988 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00% |
Germany | 1996 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
Ireland | 1997 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 10.00% |
Japan | 2002 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 66.67% |
Kazakhstan | 2001 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00% |
Netherlands | 1988 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 62.50% |
Russia | 1998 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
Samoa | 2013 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
Scotland | 1995 | 22 | 15 | 1 | 6 | 68.18% |
South Africa | 2018 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
Spain | 1991 | 15 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 33.33% |
Sweden | 1991 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 62.50% |
United States | 2012 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 33.33% |
Wales | 1999 | 21 | 7 | 1 | 13 | 33.33% |
Summary | 1985 | 164 | 57 | 3 | 104 | 34.76% |
Italy's 31-player squad was announced on 11 March for the 2024 Women's Six Nations Championship. [2] [3] [4]
Player | Position | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Club/province |
---|---|---|---|---|
Laura Gurioli | Hooker | 2 February 1995 (aged 29) | 7 | Villorba |
Vittoria Vecchini | Hooker | 13 January 2002 (aged 22) | 20 | Valsugana |
Alice Cassaghi | Prop | 21 November 2000 (aged 23) | 2 | Milano |
Lucia Gai | Prop | 3 May 1991 (aged 32) | 95 | Valsugana |
Gaia Maris | Prop | 27 July 2001 (aged 22) | 27 | Romagnat |
Alessia Pilani | Prop | 6 May 1999 (aged 24) | 3 | Colorno |
Sara Seye | Prop | 26 August 2000 (aged 23) | 20 | Ealing Trailfinders |
Emanuela Stecca | Prop | 24 February 1997 (aged 27) | 7 | Villorba |
Silvia Turani | Prop | 6 July 1995 (aged 28) | 30 | Harlequins |
Giordana Duca | Lock | 18 September 1992 (aged 31) | 43 | Valsugana |
Valeria Fedrighi | Lock | 5 September 1992 (aged 31) | 50 | Toulouse |
Isabella Locatelli | Lock | 23 October 1994 (aged 29) | 46 | Colorno |
Sara Tounesi | Lock | 19 July 1995 (aged 28) | 35 | Sale Sharks |
Ilaria Arrighetti | Back row | 2 March 1993 (aged 31) | 57 | Rennes |
Giulia Cavina | Back row | 15 November 1999 (aged 24) | 4 | Milano |
Giada Franco | Back row | 11 July 1996 (aged 27) | 32 | Colorno |
Alessandra Frangipani | Back row | 5 | Villorba | |
Elisa Giordano (c) | Back row | 1 November 1990 (aged 33) | 65 | Valsugana |
Francesca Sgorbini | Back row | 7 January 2001 (aged 23) | 20 | Romagnat |
Beatrice Veronese | Back row | 11 March 1996 (aged 28) | 16 | Valsugana |
Francesca Granzotto | Scrum-half | 22 March 2002 (aged 22) | 6 | Capitolina |
Sofia Stefan | Scrum-half | 12 May 1992 (aged 31) | 82 | Valsugana |
Micol Cavina | Fly-half | 15 November 1999 (aged 24) | 0 | Villorba |
Veronica Madia | Fly-half | 16 January 1995 (aged 29) | 46 | Grenoble Amazones |
Emma Stevanin | Fly-half | 11 April 2002 (aged 21) | 11 | Valsugana |
Beatrice Rigoni | Centre | 1 August 1995 (aged 28) | 70 | Sale Sharks |
Michela Sillari | Centre | 23 February 1993 (aged 31) | 82 | Valsugana |
Alyssa D'Incà | Wing | 23 March 2002 (aged 22) | 21 | Villorba |
Aura Muzzo | Wing | 12 April 1997 (aged 26) | 40 | Villorba |
Beatrice Capomaggi | Fullback | 29 April 1997 (aged 26) | 12 | Valsugana |
Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi | Fullback | 6 December 2001 (aged 22) | 28 | Valsugana |
The following Italy players have been recognised at the World Rugby Awards since 2001: [5]
Year | Forwards | Backs | Total | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Players | No. | Players | ||
2021 | — | 12. | Beatrice Rigoni | 1 | |
Year | Date | Nominee | Match | Tournament | Winner |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | 13 September | Sara Barattin | vs. Scotland | World Cup Qualifying | — |
2023 | 15 April | Sofia Stefan | vs. Ireland | Six Nations | Sofia Stefan |
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