Italy’s head coach Conor O’Shea announced a 31-member squad ahead of the summer tour which will bring the Azzurri to face Scotland in Singapore on June 10, Fiji in Suva on June 17th and the Wallabies in Brisbane on June 24. Italy will assemble in Rome on May 28, departing to Singapore on June 10 to face Scotland in the first ever Tier 1 match taking place in the Lion’s City.

“We are really excited to be bringing this group together and the challenges ahead,” O’Shea said.

“There is a huge amount of work going on behind the scenes and we are making changes within our system which we really feel will benefit Italian Rugby both in the short and long term but no one is under any illusions about the task ahead.
The goal for this group of players on this tour is to ensure we execute and start taking the opportunities that we have undoubtedly had.

Once we start doing that and playing with the intensity and focus we desire we will become the team that both we and all our supporters desire.”

Touring squad:

Props- Pietro CECCARELLI (Zebre Rugby, 7 caps), Andrea LOVOTTI (Zebre Rugby, 14 caps)*, Simone FERRARI (Benetton Treviso, 2 caps), Sami PANICO (Patarò Calvisano, 10 caps)*, Tiziano PASQUALI (Benetton Treviso, uncapped); Hookers- Luca BIGI (Benetton Treviso, uncapped)

Ornel GEGA (Benetton Treviso, 12 caps), Luhandre LUUS (Patarò Calvisano, uncapped)*; Locks- George Fabio BIAGI (Zebre Rugby, 19 caps), Dean BUDD (Benetton Treviso, uncapped), Marco FUSER (Benetton Treviso, 21 caps)*

Federico RUZZA (Zebre Rugby, 1 cap)*, Andries VAN SCHALKWYK (Zebre Rugby, 12 caps); Flanker/No.8- Robert Julian BARBIERI (Benetton Treviso, 40 caps), Maxime MBANDA’ (Zebre Rugby, 8 caps)*, Francesco MINTO (Benetton Treviso, 33 caps), Abraham Jurgen STEYN (Benetton Treviso, 11 caps); Scrumhalves- Edoardo GORI (Benetton Treviso, 61 caps)*,

Tito TEBALDI (Benetton Treviso, 20 caps), Marcello VIOLI (Zebre Rugby, 3 caps)*, Flyhalves- Tommaso ALLAN (Benetton Treviso, 30 caps), Carlo CANNA (Zebre Rugby, 20 caps); Centres- Tommaso BENVENUTI (Benetton Treviso, 42 caps)*, Tommaso BONI (Zebre Rugby, 2 caps)*, Michele CAMPAGNARO (Exeter Chiefs, 29 caps)*, Wingers-

Giulio BISEGNI (Zebre Rugby, 7 caps), Angelo ESPOSITO (Benetton Treviso, 11 caps)*, Leonardo SARTO (Glasgow Warriors, 30 caps)*, Giovanbattista VENDITTI (Zebre Rugby, 42 caps)*, Fullbacks- Edoardo PADOVANI (Zebre Rugby, 11 caps)*, Luca SPERANDIO (Benetton Treviso, 2 caps)*, *National Academy Member