Italy Women promote Sciamanna to head coach ahead of demanding autumn schedule

Plinio Sciamanna has been named the permanent head coach of Italy Women by the Italian Rugby Federation, ending a period of interim leadership that followed the departure of Fabio Roselli earlier this year.

Sciamanna has been part of the Azzurre’s coaching setup since 2021, serving as an assistant before stepping up on a temporary basis to oversee the team’s summer training camps. His promotion to the full-time role comes on the back of a fourth-place finish in this year’s Women’s Six Nations, where Italy recorded victories over Wales and Scotland.

“Leading the Women’s National Team is a source of great pride for me and, above all, a major responsibility,” Sciamanna said. “I strongly believe in this team’s potential and in the journey we can build together — creating a high-performance environment where every player and staff member feels like an active part of the team’s growth, leveraging individual strengths and continuing to raise standards both on and off the pitch.”

He added that culture would be central to his approach. “I believe that daily behaviours build a team’s culture and that, over time, it is precisely that culture which determines the ability to perform at one’s best during crucial moments.”

The federation also confirmed the appointment of Francesco “Coco” Mazzariol as an assistant coach. A former Italy Men’s playmaker with 35 caps and three Rugby World Cup appearances to his name, Mazzariol brings significant experience at the highest level. “The evolution over the past 10 years has been incredible; being part of it now is a privilege and a source of great motivation for me,” he said.

Italy, currently ranked sixth in the world, face a demanding autumn programme that will test the new coaching team immediately. The Azzurre host Japan and South Africa in September and October before travelling to North America for back-to-back Tests against the USA Women’s Eagles.

None of those opponents will be straightforward. Swys de Bruin’s Springbok Women, ranked 10th, have openly targeted a rise up the world rankings, while the USA have been building momentum under new head coach Jack Hanratty. Japan, too, will be eager to make an impression under their own recently appointed coach, Toshizumi Kitagawa.

For Sciamanna, the fixtures represent an early opportunity to stamp his identity on a squad he knows well — and to begin delivering on what he described as an “important and ambitious path ahead.”