While there is no doubting the vibrant nature of the UK’s domestic rugby scene, many fans also enjoy keeping a close eye on international rugby.
This is especially true when there are major tournaments on, such as the recent 2023 World Cup. Although it is always worth keeping up with how England is doing on the world stage, Italy is a nation that has caught the eye in the last couple of years.
While they might have once been a team that struggled to really compete at the top level, Italy has made great strides in becoming more competitive during international rugby matches lately. This is for both the male and female sides, who are showing that Italy is a rugby force to be reckoned with in the modern game.
Italy starting to fire in men’s rugby
The recent men's Guinness Six Nations Championship in 2024 is the perfect example of how Italy is on the rise in world rugby. This saw them enjoy their best tournament to date and pick up a historic couple of wins plus one draw. They showed a massive improvement on previous years, where they would regularly finish last and pick up no wins at all.
For further evidence of the recent rise of Italy in men’s rugby, you only need to look at how they have shot up to eighth place in the world rankings after the 2024 Six Nations and how they have picked up 3.48 ranking points since the start of the year.
Italy’s resurgence has not happened overnight
Although Italy’s recent exploits in men’s rugby show how they are on the up, they have actually been steadily improving for a few years now. Perhaps the start of this was the ending of their losing streak against Wales in 2022, with a 22-21 win at the Principality Stadium.
Following this, they carried their good form into the 2023 Six Nations and really started to gel as a cohesive squad of players. Although the 2023 World Cup was underwhelming, it gave the players much-needed experience at the top level which proved useful in their successful Six Nations performances during 2024.
But what has been behind the rise of Italy in men’s international rugby overall? The most obvious reason is that they now have a batch of players with elite level talent, such as Ange Capuozzo and Juan Ignacio Brex.
It is also important to recognise the impact Kieran Crowley had on Italian men’s rugby during his stint as head coach. There is no doubt that the green shoots of recovery started under him. He brought tactical awareness, discipline and fresh offensive ideas to the team.
Italy smashing it in women’s international rugby
The rise of Italy in world rugby is also evident in the women’s game. This started when the side was selected to replace Spain in the annual women’s Six Nations tournament in 2007. As a result of this, the women’s rugby team in Italy gained much-needed experience against the very best teams as well as more exposure in the media.
Since then, they have gone from strength to strength and put in some impressive displays to boost their standing. A ninth place finish in the 2017 World Cup for example included a couple of impressive wins over Japan and Spain in the playoffs.
A 24-7 win over Ireland in the 2023 Six Nations continued this steady improvement and they will be hoping to build on this in the ongoing 2024 women’s Six Nations Championship. As with the men’s side, a rise up the world rankings shows how much the women’s team has improved lately and they are currently sitting in seventh place.
What’s behind the rise of Italy in women’s rugby?
The recent improvements seen in the Italian women’s national side all come down to the quality of players available. Vittoria Vecchini, for example, is a rising star on the world stage and someone who any side would be glad to call on. When you also add in players such as Aura Muzzo and Beatrice Rigoni, it is clear that the talent in the Italian women’s squad has helped it rise in recent years.
For the women’s game in Italy particularly, the greater funding and focus it now enjoys has also helped it blossom. Centralised contracts for female Italian internationals have helped to make the women’s game in Italy more professional and allows players to train full-time to improve.
Italy making waves in world rugby
When you look at where the Italian men’s and women’s rugby teams are now compared to the past, it is easy to see how much they have improved. With a more professional approach to the game and a glut of talent to call on, we expect to see the country enjoying more success in the sport moving ahead.
