Chiefs' Italian trio included in summer tour squad

Exeter Chiefs’ Italian trio of Stephen Varney, Ross Vintcent and Andrea Zambonin have been named in the 33-man Italy squad for the 2026 Nations Championship.

The three Chiefs will join up with the rest of the Azzurri squad next week following the Gallagher PREM final at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham on Saturday afternoon. They join Northampton Saints prop Danillo Fischetti in joining the squad late.

The Italians start their summer with a trip to Tokyo to face Japan on July 4. They will then face New Zealand in Wellington and Australia in Perth on consecutive weekends.

Head coach Gonzalo Quesada said: "The start of the Nations Championship marks the dawn of a new era for rugby. It is an innovative competition that will offer further reasons of interest to both insiders and fans, with points up for grabs for the final standings.

“Almost all the teams we will face between July and November precede us in the world rankings, so it is a very stimulating challenge. The key will be to maximize the time available for preparation and training conditions, especially during the international window in July being characterised by several demanding trips.”

All matches will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.

The full Italy squad can be found here.