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.
Schedule DateVenueHomeScoreAway 27 June 2025 Hage Geingob Rugby Stadium, Windhoek 6–73 5 July 2025 Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria 42–24 12 July 2025 Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Gqeberha 45–0
Venues Namibia South Africa Windhoek Pretoria Gqeberha Hage Geingob Rugby Stadium Loftus Versfeld Stadium Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium Capacity: 10,000 Capacity: 51,762 Capacity: 46,000
Squad 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.
Matches Namibia vs Italy
FB 15André van den BergRW 14Danie van der MerweOC 13Alcino Izaacs IC 12Danco BurgerLW 11Jurgen MeyerFH 10Tiaan SwanepoelSH 9 Jacques Theron N8 8 Adriaan Booysen OF 7 Max KatjijekoBF 6 Prince !Gaoseb (c)RL 5 Johan Retief LL 4 Adriaan Ludick TP 3 Aranos Coetzee HK 2 Louis van der Westhuizen LP 1 Haitembu Shikufa Substitutions:HK 16Armand Combrinck PR 17Jason Benade PR 18Sidney Halupé LK 19Ruan Ludick FL 20Johan Luttig FL 21Peter Diergaardt SH 22Oela Blaauw WG 23Quiren Madjiedt Coach:Jacques Burger FB 15Jacopo TrullaRW 14Paolo Odogwu OC 13Tommaso MenoncelloIC 12Leonardo Marin LW 11Simone GesiFH 10Giacomo Da ReSH 9 Alessandro Fusco N8 8 Ross VintcentOF 7 Manuel Zuliani BF 6 Sebastian NegriRL 5 Riccardo Favretto LL 4 Niccolò CannoneTP 3 Marco Riccioni HK 2 Giacomo Nicotera (c) LP 1 Danilo Fischetti Substitutions:HK 16Tommaso Di Bartolomeo PR 17Mirco Spagnolo PR 18Muhamed Hasa LK 19Andrea Zambonin FL 20Lorenzo Cannone SH 21Stephen Varney FH 22Giulio Bertaccini WG 23Mirko Belloni Coach:Gonzalo Quesada 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.
South Africa vs Italy (first Test)
FB 15Damian WillemseRW 14Cheslin KolbeOC 13Jesse Kriel (c)IC 12Damian de Allende LW 11Kurt-Lee ArendseFH 10Handré PollardSH 9 Morné van den Berg N8 8 Jasper Wiese OF 7 Vincent TshitukaBF 6 Marco van StadenRL 5 Lood de Jager LL 4 Eben Etzebeth TP 3 Wilco Louw HK 2 Malcolm Marx LP 1 Ox Nché Substitutions:HK 16Bongi Mbonambi PR 17Jan-Hendrik Wessels PR 18Vincent Koch LK 19RG Snyman LK 20Franco Mostert FL 21Kwagga Smith SH 22Faf de Klerk FB 23Willie le Roux Coach:Rassie Erasmus FB 15Jacopo TrullaRW 14Louis LynaghOC 13Tommaso MenoncelloIC 12Marco ZanonLW 11Simone GesiFH 10Giacomo Da ReSH 9 Alessandro Fusco N8 8 Lorenzo Cannone OF 7 Manuel Zuliani BF 6 Alessandro Izekor RL 5 Andrea Zambonin LL 4 Niccolò Cannone (c)TP 3 Simone Ferrari HK 2 Tommaso Di Bartolomeo LP 1 Danilo Fischetti Substitutions:HK 16Pablo Dimcheff PR 17Mirco Spagnolo PR 18Muhamed Hasa LK 19Matteo Canali N8 20Ross Vintcent FL 21David Odiase SH 22Alessandro Garbisi CE 23Giulio Bertaccini Coach:Gonzalo Quesada 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.
South Africa vs Italy (second Test)
FB 15Willie le Roux RW 14Edwill van der MerweOC 13Canan Moodie IC 12André EsterhuizenLW 11Makazole MapimpiFH 10Manie LibbokSH 9 Grant Williams N8 8 Jasper Wiese OF 7 Pieter-Steph du ToitBF 6 Marco van Staden RL 5 Ruan NortjéLL 4 Salmaan Moerat (c) TP 3 Wilco Louw HK 2 Malcolm Marx LP 1 Thomas du Toit Substitutions:HK 16Jan-Hendrik Wessels PR 17Ox Nché PR 18Asenathi Ntlabakanye FL 19Cobus Wiese FL 20Evan Roos SH 21Cobus Reinach FH 22Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu CE 23Ethan Hooker Coach:Rassie Erasmus FB 15Mirko BelloniRW 14Louis LynaghOC 13Tommaso MenoncelloIC 12Marco ZanonLW 11Jacopo Trulla FH 10Giacomo Da ReSH 9 Alessandro Garbisi N8 8 Ross VintcentOF 7 Manuel Zuliani BF 6 Sebastian Negri RL 5 Andrea Zambonin LL 4 Niccolò Cannone (c)TP 3 Simone Ferrari HK 2 Tommaso Di Bartolomeo LP 1 Danilo Fischetti Substitutions:HK 16Pablo Dimcheff PR 17Mirco Spagnolo PR 18Muhamed Hasa LK 19Matteo Canali FL 20Alessandro Izekor FL 21David Odiase SH 22Stephen Varney CE 23Giulio Bertaccini Coach:Gonzalo Quesada 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.
See also 2025 mid-year rugby union tests
References