Italrugby women, two tests towards the World Cup: Fabio Roselli sounds the charge

After having played a more than decent Six Nations, finishing in fourth place, the Italian women’s national rugby team is aiming hard toward the World Cup hosted by England at the end of the summer: to prepare them in the best possible way, the Azzurre will play two home tests, on July 25 and August 9, respectively in Viadana against Scotland and in Calvisano against Japan.

Fabio Roselli, technical commissioner of the Azzurri team, is already charged up: “In the final part of our approach to the World Cup we will have two excellent opportunities to test our pattern of play. Scotland is a team that we started to get to know during the Six Nations, while Japan is an opponent that we know less, and who has a different style of play. They will be two great opportunities to see where we”ll be.

In the world ranking Italy occupies the eighth position just behind Scotland, which, however, suffered a defeat against the Azzurre in the last Six Nations (25-17 in Edinburgh). Japan, on the other hand, is 11th but on the rise, as evidenced by its recent victory against the ninth-ranked U.S. national team in Los Angeles (39-33, the Nipponese’s first win in the U.S.)

At the World Cup, Italy is placed in Group D with France, South Africa and Brazil. The French, who came close to hitting it big in England on the last day of the Six Nations (43-42 the score), are the favorites in the group, while the second place, which is worth qualifying for the quarters, will most likely be contested between Italy and South Africa. Lower-ranked Brazil, however, not to be underestimated.