Italian rugby’s story runs through a single statistic that most fans know: a 36-match losing streak in the Six Nations between 2015 and 2022. Six years. Thirty-six consecutive defeats against England, France, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Every year, analysts asked whether Italy deserved their place at the table. Every year, Italy came back.
Then on February 5, 2022, Italy beat Wales 22-21 in Rome. Paolo Garbisi’s penalty in the final minutes ended the longest losing streak in Six Nations history. The reaction in Italy was disproportionate and entirely understandable.
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How Italy joined the Six Nations
Italy were added to the Five Nations in 2000, making it the Six Nations. The decision was based partly on Italy’s improving performances in the 1990s and partly on commercial logic, Italian television and sponsorship money made expansion attractive. Critics at the time argued Italy were not ready. In a sense, the 36-match streak proved those critics partially right, though the decision to include Italy also gave the Azzurri two decades of high-level competition that eventually produced better players.
Italy’s best early Six Nations performance came in their debut 2000 campaign, when they beat Scotland 34-20 in Rome. That win suggested a competitive future. What followed was more complicated.
The 36-match losing streak
The streak began after a win over Scotland in February 2015 and ran through the entire next six years of Six Nations competition. Italy came close several times, they led in multiple matches before losing late. The margins were often narrow. But close does not count in Six Nations standings, and Italy finished last in the table almost every year.
By 2021, the conversation had shifted from “can Italy compete?” to “should Italy be replaced?” Romanian and Georgian rugby officials publicly argued their countries deserved a Six Nations spot. World Rugby began exploring a promotion/relegation system that would theoretically put Italy at risk.
The 2022 win over Wales ended that conversation for a while. Italy followed it with better performances throughout the next few years, beating Australia in 2022 and recording results that suggested the team had genuinely developed rather than simply fluking a result.
Sergio Parisse: Italy’s greatest rugby player
No conversation about Italian rugby goes far without Sergio Parisse. He earned 142 caps for Italy between 2002 and 2019, making him Italy’s most capped player and one of the most capped players in rugby history. He played three Rugby World Cups. He played almost every Six Nations match across nearly two decades.
Parisse played the bulk of his club career at Stade Francais in Paris, which said something about Italian rugby’s domestic league in that era, the best Italian players could not develop properly at home and went abroad. His longevity was extraordinary given that the Italian team around him was often not competitive. He was regularly described by analysts as a top-five number 8 in the world operating in a team that finished last in its competition most seasons.
Rugby history in Italy
The Federazione Italiana Rugby was founded in 1928. Rugby took root mainly in the northeast of Italy (Veneto, Friuli, Trentino) where the game spread through local clubs and schools. Cities like Treviso, Padova, and Rovigo became rugby towns with strong club identities that persist today.
The national team first played internationally in 1929, losing to Spain. Italy’s Rugby World Cup debut came in 1987. Their best result at a World Cup before joining the Six Nations was a quarterfinal in 1991 and a quarterfinal in 1999 when they beat Scotland in the pool stage.
Italian rugby’s relationship with France has been a through-line for decades. The clubs in northern Italy developed partly through exchanges with French rugby culture, and many Italian players moved to French clubs for professional development.
Rugby clubs in Italy
The domestic Top 10 competition features clubs from across the country, with Benetton Treviso and Zebre (based in Parma) also participating in the United Rugby Championship alongside clubs from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and South Africa. Benetton in particular has been competitive at URC level and won the competition in 2020-21.
The development pathway has improved. Players spending time in URC competition rather than French Top 14 get better preparation for Test match physicality. The national team that ended the 36-match streak in 2022 was noticeably younger and more mobile than the teams of the mid-2010s.
More in the rugby cluster: Italy’s Six Nations journey has parallels with other nations punching above their weight. Rugby in Georgia follows a similar trajectory at the Tier 2 level. For a Tier 1 nation that built success from passionate but limited resources, Rugby in Argentina is the relevant comparison. For the full overview of which countries play and love rugby worldwide, see the full rugby countries guide.
FAQ: rugby in Italy
Why did Italy have a 36-game losing streak in the Six Nations?
Italy were consistently outgunned physically and tactically by the Tier 1 nations over that period. The domestic competition was not strong enough to produce players ready for Six Nations intensity, and player development pathways were less developed than in England, France, or Ireland. The streak ended in 2022 when a younger generation of players arrived.
Who is Italy’s best rugby player ever?
Sergio Parisse, by most assessments. He earned 142 caps between 2002 and 2019 and was often described as a world-class number 8 despite playing in a struggling team. Paolo Garbisi is the most prominent Italian player in the current squad.
Is rugby popular in Italy?
It is popular in the northeast, where rugby has a club culture stretching back to the early 20th century. Nationally, calcio (football) dominates, but rugby has a genuine following rather than a fringe one, especially since Six Nations matches are broadcast nationally.
When did Italy join the Six Nations?
2000. Italy were added to the existing Five Nations tournament to create the Six Nations. Their debut match was against Scotland at Murrayfield, which Italy lost, but they beat Scotland later in the same tournament in Rome.
What is Italy’s rugby team called?
The Azzurri (Italian for “the blues”), named after the blue playing jerseys the national team has worn since the 1920s.
Where Italy is heading
The years since 2022 have shown Italy is not just marking time in the Six Nations. The team has beaten established opponents and shown competitive edge that was largely absent for the six years of the losing streak. The conversation about replacing Italy has quietened. Whether they can finish in the top half of the Six Nations table consistently is the next question.
For a broader look at rugby culture and how different countries relate to the sport, see the rugby countries overview. For Italy’s place in European sports culture alongside other national sporting identities, the national sports of all countries article covers that territory.
