Italy rugby team, preparing for their fifth appearance in 2007 Rugby World Cup , holds the 12 th position in the International Rugby Board world ranking. The team has won 5 matches though they have played 16 rugby matches and has scored 278 points.
Wearing sky blue shirt, white shorts and sky blue socks with the emblem of Laurel wreath, the Italian team enters the ground with much enthusiasm to win the trophy. The team playing international rugby since 1920, became prominent through the Five Nations Champions, which was made into Six Nations. In 1970s, the great rugby players of the Italian team made it famous.
Also known as Azurri and The Gladiators of Rome, the team is considered as one of the best rugby nations in Europe. They have competed in all the Rugby World Cup tournaments since 1987. However, the team was eliminated in the pool stage itself in all the tournaments.
The Italian rugby team has also participated in the Six Nations Championship. Italy will play the Rugby World Cup 2007 in Pool C along with New Zealand, Scotland , and Romania .
In the 1987 Rugby World Cup , they lost the match to New Zealand, and in the 1995 Rugby World Cup , they were thrashed by England. They finished third in their pool at their first World Cup, defeating Fiji. In 1995 Rugby World Cup , they finished behind England and Western Samoa. In 1999 they could not reach the finals. The team managed to win two pool games at the 2003 Rugby World Cup , defeating both Canada and Tonga.
