Munster are off to a new venue in Italy for some PRO14 action next February

Zebre are bringing PRO14 action to Milan after deciding to host their February 21 fixture with Munster as part of of a three-day rugby festival. 

The soccer-mad northern Italian city was already set for a double dose of Six Nations action that weekend, with Italy’s under-20s taking on Scotland on the Saturday and their women’s team doing likewise on the Sunday. 

But the weekend will now kick-off on the Friday at the 5,000-seat Giovanni Mari Stadium in Legnano with Johann van Graan’s Munster taking on Michael Bradley’s Zebre.

It’s new territory for the PRO14, visiting a city that hosted an All Blacks versus Italy Test match in November 2009 at the San Siro. 

Zebre CEO Andrea Dalledonne said: “Playing a game in the context of Milan is for the Zebre Rugby Club and Italian rugby an important test.

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“Despite the many difficulties of organising a match in a stadium away from Parma, it allows us to approach the most important Italian city and to show that rugby can return to being a sport that deserves the audience and attention that had in the past and that must return to have. 

“I would like to thank the municipality of Legnano, the Parabiago Rugby and Rugbymeet for accepting this challenge. We know that we will be followed with great attention by the organising committee of the tournament and other important Italian and European cities.”

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