Sillari reaches 100 Italy caps but insists her place in the Azzurre is never guaranteed

Michela Sillari joined a select group of four Italy players to reach 100 international caps when she wore the No.13 shirt in the Azzurre’s WXV Global Series defeat to the USA Eagles in Nashville, a 54-24 loss that could not diminish the personal milestone for the Parma-born centre.

The 33-year-old has been a fixture in the Italy squad since making her debut as a substitute against England in 2012, accumulating 342 points across her career. Yet despite her longevity, Sillari is reluctant to take anything for granted.

“I still don’t take my selection for the team or the squad for granted,” she told RugbyPass. “I will always try to improve. It is something I have tried to do, all these years, to work on all aspects of my performance.”

Sillari found out on the Wednesday before the Nashville match that she would reach the milestone, alongside hooker Vittoria Vecchini, who made her 50th appearance in the same fixture. The squad’s reaction to the announcement was anything but low-key.

“It was hugely emotional, especially when they played the video with other players who I started out playing with at the start of my career and who I haven’t heard from or seen for a while,” Sillari said. “It was lovely hearing their messages. Hearing from my parents and my sister added to the emotion.”

On the pitch, she marked the occasion with converted tries from Francesca Sgorbini and Beatrice Rigoni, though the Eagles ran out comfortable winners.

Sillari cites Italy’s quarter-final finish at Rugby World Cup 2021 — hosted in New Zealand in 2022 — and their second-place finish in the 2018 Women’s Six Nations as the highlights of a career that has spanned more than a decade. She also spent a season in England, helping Aylesford Bulls win the 2017 Women’s Premiership.

Her modesty about future selection is not a hint at retirement. When asked whether she will be involved in the upcoming Guinness Women’s Six Nations, her answer is a simple “let’s see” — reflecting not doubt about her desire, but a belief that she must keep earning her place.

“The most important lesson is probably not to let defeats affect you too much, and not to forget all about the work you put in to get there,” she said. “You need to not be distracted but to keep on going to reach your objective.”

Centre partner Sara Mannini, who is set to join Harlequins in the Premiership Women’s Rugby, offered her own tribute. “Michela is a great player and person,” Mannini said. “She comes over as quiet, but she always does a huge amount of work for the team.”