Giovanni Raineri has announced his Six Nations squad for the 2024 Championship. It is:
Ilaria Arrighetti (Stade Rennais), Beatrice Capomaggi (Villorba Rugby), Alice Cassaghi (CUS Milano Rugby), Giulia Cavina (CUS Milano Rugby), Micol Cavina (Villorba Rugby), Alyssa D’Inca (Villorba Rugby), Valeria Fedrighi (Stade Toulousain), Lucia Gai (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Elisa Giordano (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Francesca Granzotto (Unione Rugby Capitolina), Laura Gurioli (Villorba Rugby), Isabella Locatelli (Rugby Colorno), Veronica Madia (Grenoble Amazones), Gaia Maris (ASM Romagnat Rugby), Aura Muzzo (Villorba Rugby), Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Beatrice Rigoni (Sale Sharks), Sara Seye (Trailfinders), Francesca Sgorbini (ASM Romagnat Rugby), Michela Sillari (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Emanuela Stecca (Villorba Rugby), Sofia Stefan (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Emma Stevanin (Valsugana Rugby) Padova), Vittoria Vecchini (Valsugana Rugby Padova), Beatrice Veronese (Valsugana Rugby Padova)
Also invited: Gaia Buso (Rugby Colorno), Alessandra Frangipani (Villorba Rugby), Sara Mannini (Rugby Colorno), Nicole Mastrangelo (Unione Rugby Capitolina), Sara Tounesi (Sale Sharks), Silvia Turani (Harlequins)
The main squad numbers only 25, a remarkably small number, so the secondary list may well be called into action. He will have his reasons for presenting them separately, but they aren’t obvious.
Even then, a total of 31 players is not huge when you consider the wear and tear on them across five rounds of intense endeavour.
At last the twins, Giulia and Micol Cavina, both find a place in the squad. Back in 2019 Micol, a fly-half, made her international debut in a losing cause against England at Bedford. But Giulia is a flank forward, and they don’t play for the same club.
Composition
The one big development from his first training squad announced at the start of the year is the addition of players based at PWR clubs. The four were unavailable owing to club requirements. Five more are attached to French clubs. Disregard both those groups from the list for a moment, then check where the remaining players come from.
It’s there that Le Azzurre show their greatest need, I feel. The two Vs, Villorba and Valsugana, dominate the scene with fifteen players; Colorno are somewhat reduced these days with two, while the encouraging signs come from the two other Italian clubs, CUS Milano Rugby and Unione Rugby Capitolina. They are welcome inclusions with two each. Welcome, because they represent two of the major Italian cities, Milan and Rome.
Their Training Schedule
They will meet for an initial training programme between 7-10 March in Padua, then reconvene on 19 March to prepare for the contest against the Red Roses.
Italy are one of the teams to face three away games. They host England first in Padua on 24 March; their only other home game is against Scotland on 27 April. They visit Ireland in Dublin on 31 March; France in Paris in Round Four on 14 April and Wales at the Principality on the last weekend, 27 April.
