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2025 Italy rugby union tour of Namibia and South Africa
In July 2025, the Italy national rugby union team toured South Africa as part of the Summer International calendar. The two-test tour was confirmed in October 2024, with a match against Namibia being included on the tour.
| 2025 Italy rugby union tour of Namibia and South Africa | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 June – 12 July 2025 | |||
| Gonzalo Quesada | |||
| Giacomo Nicotera, Niccolò Cannone | |||
| Giacomo Da Re (21) | |||
| Jacopo Trulla (3) | |||
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In July 2025, the Italy national rugby union team toured South Africa as part of the Summer International calendar. The two-test tour was confirmed in October 2024, with a match against Namibia being included on the tour.
It was Italy's third tour of South Africa, and the first time both teams have played each other at Loftus Versfeld Stadium and Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
| Date | Venue | Home | Score | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 June 2025 | Hage Geingob Rugby Stadium, Windhoek | Namibia | 6–73 | Italy |
| 5 July 2025 | Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria | South Africa | 42–24 | Italy |
| 12 July 2025 | Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Gqeberha | South Africa | 45–0 | Italy |
On May 21, Italy named a 33-player squad for the tour.
On June 11 Louis Lynagh replaced Monty Ioane. On June 23 Simone Ferrari replaced Giosuè Zilocchi. On June 27 it was announced that Federico Mori will not join the tour, due to injury. On June 30, Pietro Ceccarelli and Damiano Mazza were added to the squad in substitution of Marco Riccioni and Leonardo Marin, who were both injured in the first match against Namibia. On July 4, Leonard Krumov joined the team in South Africa in substitution of injured Riccardo Favretto. On July 7, Giampietro Ribaldi was called to replace Giacomo Nicotera.
- Ages and caps updated at the start of the tour.
| Player | Position | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Club/province |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tommaso Di Bartolomeo | Hooker | (2001-01-04)4 January 2001 (aged 24) | 0 | Zebre Parma |
| Pablo Dimcheff | Hooker | (1999-07-01)1 July 1999 (aged 25) | 0 | Colomiers |
| Giacomo Nicotera (c) | Hooker | (1996-07-15)15 July 1996 (aged 28) | 33 | Stade Français |
| Giampietro Ribaldi | Hooker | (1997-03-12)12 March 1997 (aged 28) | 0 | Zebre Parma |
| Pietro Ceccarelli | Prop | (1992-02-16)16 February 1992 (aged 33) | 34 | Perpignan |
| Simone Ferrari | Prop | (1994-03-28)28 March 1994 (aged 31) | 64 | Benetton |
| Danilo Fischetti | Prop | (1998-01-26)26 January 1998 (aged 27) | 52 | Zebre Parma |
| Muhamed Hasa | Prop | (2001-09-10)10 September 2001 (aged 23) | 0 | Zebre Parma |
| Marco Riccioni | Prop | (1997-10-19)19 October 1997 (aged 27) | 33 | Saracens |
| Mirco Spagnolo | Prop | (2001-01-02)2 January 2001 (aged 24) | 14 | Benetton |
| Matteo Canali | Lock | (1998-09-11)11 September 1998 (aged 26) | 0 | Zebre Parma |
| Niccolò Cannone | Lock | (1998-05-17)17 May 1998 (aged 27) | 52 | Benetton |
| Riccardo Favretto | Lock | (2001-10-18)18 October 2001 (aged 23) | 6 | Benetton |
| Leonard Krumov | Lock | (1996-05-01)1 May 1996 (aged 29) | 0 | Zebre Parma |
| Andrea Zambonin | Lock | (2000-09-03)3 September 2000 (aged 24) | 9 | Zebre Parma |
| Lorenzo Cannone | Back row | (2001-01-28)28 January 2001 (aged 24) | 28 | Benetton |
| Alessandro Izekor | Back row | (2000-03-05)5 March 2000 (aged 25) | 4 | Benetton |
| Sebastian Negri | Back row | (1994-06-30)30 June 1994 (aged 30) | 63 | Benetton |
| David Odiase | Back row | (2003-01-19)19 January 2003 (aged 22) | 0 | Oyonnax |
| Ross Vintcent | Back row | (2002-06-05)5 June 2002 (aged 23) | 14 | Exeter Chiefs |
| Manuel Zuliani | Back row | (2000-04-26)26 April 2000 (aged 25) | 32 | Benetton |
| Alessandro Fusco | Scrum-half | (1999-10-28)28 October 1999 (aged 25) | 18 | Zebre Parma |
| Alessandro Garbisi | Scrum-half | (2002-04-11)11 April 2002 (aged 23) | 16 | Benetton |
| Stephen Varney | Scrum-half | (2001-05-15)15 May 2001 (aged 24) | 32 | Vannes |
| Giacomo Da Re | Fly-half | (1999-03-29)29 March 1999 (aged 26) | 2 | Zebre Parma |
| Giovanni Montemauri | Fly-half | (2000-10-24)24 October 2000 (aged 24) | 0 | Zebre Parma |
| Giulio Bertaccini | Centre | (2000-11-29)29 November 2000 (aged 24) | 1 | Zebre Parma |
| Damiano Mazza | Centre | (1999-02-16)16 February 1999 (aged 26) | 0 | Zebre Parma |
| Leonardo Marin | Centre | (2002-02-23)23 February 2002 (aged 23) | 14 | Benetton |
| Tommaso Menoncello | Centre | (2002-08-20)20 August 2002 (aged 22) | 28 | Benetton |
| Marco Zanon | Centre | (1997-10-03)3 October 1997 (aged 27) | 17 | Benetton |
| Simone Gesi | Wing | (2001-05-23)23 May 2001 (aged 24) | 3 | Zebre Parma |
| Louis Lynagh | Wing | (2000-12-03)3 December 2000 (aged 24) | 5 | Benetton |
| Paolo Odogwu | Wing | (1997-02-18)18 February 1997 (aged 28) | 6 | Benetton |
| Jacopo Trulla | Fullback | (2000-07-05)5 July 2000 (aged 24) | 14 | Zebre Parma |
| Mirko Belloni | Fullback | (2004-06-04)4 June 2004 (aged 21) | 0 | Rovigo Delta |
| Column 1 |
|---|
| Player of the Match: |
| Giacomo Da Re (Italy) |
| Assistant referees: |
| Morné Ferreira (South Africa) |
| Aimee Barrett-Theron (South Africa) |
Notes:
- This was Italy’s largest-ever winning margin in an away Test Match, surpassing the previous 61-point margin set against Portugal during the 1995-1997 FIRA Trophy.
- Sidney Halupé, Jurgen Meyer, Danie van der Merwe (all Namibia), Mirko Belloni, Tommaso Di Bartolomeo and Muhamed Hasa (all Italy) made their international debuts.
| Column 1 |
|---|
| Player of the Match: |
| Vincent Tshituka (South Africa) |
| Assistant referees: |
| Matthew Carley (England) |
| Andrew Brace (Ireland) |
| Television match official: |
| Andrew Jackson (England) |
| Foul play review officer: |
| Tual Trainini (France) |
Notes:
- Vincent Tshituka (South Africa), Matteo Canali, Pablo Dimcheff and David Odiase (all Italy) made their international debuts.
| Column 1 |
|---|
| Player of the Match: |
| Edwill van der Merwe (South Africa) |
| Assistant referees: |
| Matthew Carley (England) |
| Hollie Davidson (Scotland) |
| Television match official: |
| Tual Trainini (France) |
| Foul play review officer: |
| Andrew Jackson (England) |
Notes:
-
Willie le Roux became the eighth South African to earn 100 test caps.
-
Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Ethan Hooker and Cobus Wiese (all South Africa) made their international debuts.
-
This was the first time since June 2008 that South Africa has kept Italy scoreless (26–0).
-
This was the first time since the 2023 Rugby World Cup that South Africa has kept their opposition scoreless (Romania 76–0).
-
This was the first time since losing to Ireland 36–0 during the 2024 Six Nations that Italy has failed to score any points.
-
2025 mid-year rugby union tests
-
2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia
-
2025 England rugby union tour of Argentina and the United States
-
2025 France rugby union tour of New Zealand
-
2025 Wales rugby union tour of Japan
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