The Azzurre made Italian rugby history at Rugby World Cup 2021 becoming the first side, men and women combined, to reach the quarter-finals and challenge France for most part of the game. They gained qualification for next year’s tournament at WXV2 after beating South Africa.
Current World Ranking: 8th
Best Rugby World Cup result: quarter-finals (2021)
Notable win: Italy have claimed victory against the form-team of the year Ireland and in Dublin too! So they can mix it up with the best in the world and they will look to do just that again in 2025 with France, South Africa and Brazil in the pool.
Players to watch: Italy have tons of experience in their ranks and it’s hard to look past centre partners Michela Sillari (83 caps) and Beatrice Rigoni (76 caps). But it’s the general at scrum-half Sofia Stefan who will likely grab the headlines at Rugby World Cup 2025 when she becomes only the third centurion for the Azzuree.
