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The Italy national rugby union team, known as the Azzurri, has
steadily earned acclaim. Their history began in 1929, when they played
their first international against Spain. As of 2012, the Italy rugby
team hosts their home matches at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
The Italian rugby team joined the Six Nations in 2000. Since then, they
have produced notable wins against France, Wales and Scotland. However,
Italy have also endured more last-place finishes than any other side –
they claimed 18 wooden spoons between 2000 and 2024. The Azzurri also
compete in the Rugby World Cup. However, despite appearing at every
edition of the tournament, they have never made it out of their pool.
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Italian Rugby Team Versus the South African Rugby Team
Italy and South Africa’s rugby rivalry first began in 1995, when the
Azzurri rugby team lost 40-21. This first match set a precedent and
South Africa has held the upper hand ever since.
With the
exception of Italy’s historic 20-18 victory in 2016, the Springboks have won every match against the Azzurri. This includes a particularly
remarkable match in 1999, when South Africa handed Italy a crushing
101-0 defeat.
This history of one-sided matches includes one
Rugby World Cup match. The two sides met during the group stage of the
2019 RWC in Japan, where South Africa triumphed 49-3.
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