Northern Edition
Select Edition
Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France
43 - 7
FT
15 - 52
FT
25 - 37
FT
24 - 13
FT
12 - 36
FT
32 - 26
FT
15 - 20
FT
61 - 7
FT
27 - 23
FT
21 - 26
FT
17 - 26
FT
Tomorrow
05:00
Tomorrow
05:00
Tomorrow
05:00
Tomorrow
07:15
Tomorrow
07:15
Tomorrow
09:05
Tomorrow
09:30
Tomorrow
09:30
Tomorrow
09:30
Tomorrow
12:00
Tomorrow
12:00
Tomorrow
12:00
Sunday
05:00
Sunday
05:00
Sunday
07:15
Sunday
07:15
Sunday
07:15
Sunday
09:30
Sunday
09:30
United Rugby Championship

Zebre Parma lock in Italy U20s star Francesco Ruffolo

Francesco Ruffolo (Italy) during the Rugby Six Nations match 2022 U20 6 Nations Summer Series - Italy vs England on July 12, 2022 at the Monigo stadium in Treviso, Italy (Photo by Mattia Radoni/LiveMedia/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Zebre Parma have confirmed the signing of second row Francesco Ruffolo ahead of the 2025/26 season.

ADVERTISEMENT

The 22-year-old, who came through the ranks at Rugby Colorno, has already featured for Zebre as a permit player during the 2024/25 campaign, including appearances on the club’s recent South African tour against the Sharks and Bulls.

“Francesco impressed us with his technical skills and excellent attitude,” said Zebre CEO Fabrizio Gaetaniello. “The Permit system allows us to have a growing and fruitful collaboration with local clubs, with a view to bringing talents – and Francesco Ruffolo is no exception – closer to the international level.

“In this sense, we are happy to welcome him and to be able to permanently include in our staff a player who has already shown this year to be amply up to the challenges that await us and will await us”.

Download the RugbyPass app now!

News, stats, live rugby and more! Download the new RugbyPass app on the App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android) now!

ADVERTISEMENT
Play Video
LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

1

Andy Onyeama-Christie on brink of Saracens exit as new club emerge

2
2

Rassie Erasmus: SA Rugby set out huge new deal for Bok coach

10
3

'We didn’t feel it was right' - Newcastle Red Bulls explain Christian Wade call

4

Six Nations statement: Tom Curry 'Tunnelgate' incident

17
5

What written judgement said about Alex Mann's role in gouging saga

15
6

Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth ban for 'intentional' foul play confirmed

93
7

Bok superstar may exit South African rugby with giant offer tabled

6
8

'New Zealand's going to have a tough time': Erasmus offers early RWC call

7

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Long Reads

LONG READ

'We are the fix' - How the Sharks can regain their bite to build a dynasty

John Plumtree's men face a genuine dynasty in Toulouse pondering how they can build their own and deliver on the talent within

8
LONG READ

Wales are out of luck and out of ideas, so where do they go from here?

Steve Tandy has endured a baptism of fire in his early months as Welsh coach and will only hope matters take an upward curve

6
LONG READ

How England are building the foundations for World Cup success in 2027

The portents are promising that England can genuinely challenge in Australia with strength in every area of the squad

245

Comments on RugbyPass

D
Dave Didley 10 minutes ago
Sharks name B-team for French giants as Plumtree exit fast-tracked

Never change, JW!

11 Go to comments
J
JW 10 minutes ago
Everyone knows Robertson is not supposed to be doing the coaching

SB were pretty rough in Fosters days.

Sorry meant to say JJ could just come straight in and replace Hansen (especially if Razor has not had to run his own game plan and strategy for a long while.



...

36 Go to comments
D
Dave Didley 11 minutes ago
Sharks name B-team for French giants as Plumtree exit fast-tracked

The ‘franchise’…

What a horrid term.



...

11 Go to comments
D
Dave Didley 17 minutes ago
'100 caps… 1 incident': Bok great Bryan Habana condemns Etzebeth's act but defends player

JGP is still worth 2 players so you've got that wrong.

I hate to think the boks are regressing back to type. Sack grabbing, eye gouging…



...

131 Go to comments
D
Dave Didley 18 minutes ago
'100 caps… 1 incident': Bok great Bryan Habana condemns Etzebeth's act but defends player

Hold on to your potatoes!

131 Go to comments
D
Dave Didley 20 minutes ago
'100 caps… 1 incident': Bok great Bryan Habana condemns Etzebeth's act but defends player

Only on a Sunday!

131 Go to comments
J
JW 24 minutes ago
The potential route to the Rugby World Cup final for the top 6 teams

Ireland were ranked 6 or 7 for their draw in 23 WC.

You said that NZ’s draw in 2027 was as bad as SAs in 2023



...

52 Go to comments
F
Flankly 36 minutes ago
'We are the fix' - How the Sharks can regain their bite to build a dynasty

I dont buy the “coach can only do so much” nonsense.

It's true that the coach can't make a player do their job, but they can certainly drop players and select ones that bring the right skills and attitude. Its the coach's job to debug the problem and find solutions. If the players are frustrated and saying they don't know what's wrong then the answer is that they don't have the right coach.



...

8 Go to comments
R
RC 53 minutes ago
Nations Championship: England to play Springboks at Ellis Park

Last time the boks played at their “fortress” they lost from 22-0 up, conceding 38 unanswered points 🤫😬😂

Rassie has been signed on till 2031 😬 boks are gonna crash and burn



...

4 Go to comments
b
bd 2 hours ago
Six Nations statement: Tom Curry 'Tunnelgate' incident

A 12 week Cape Summer, a treat perhaps.

15 Go to comments
i
iain 2 hours ago
Can Bath fly the flag for England to disrupt French domination of the Champions Cup?

How english centric rugbypass is becoming. As a scot I'm not expecting glasgow but how can you look beyond Leinster rather than Bath as the main threat and for the rest of the “other nations” I would hope for a winner outwith England or france and it has to be said the Top 14 is class

10 Go to comments
A
AD 2 hours ago
Andy Onyeama-Christie on brink of Saracens exit as new club emerge

Onyeama-Christie, Christie and Sotutu is quite a back row

2 Go to comments
J
Jfp123 2 hours ago
Sharks name B-team for French giants as Plumtree exit fast-tracked

It depends on the team. Toulouse always field their top players in the Champions cup, including the group stages. This is my opportunity to watch Dupont et al live - I have a ticket for the Saracens game in Jan., so I’m not complaining. Only a few teams have a realistic chance of winning, so the B team phenomenon isn’t surprising, especially given the huge workload. Add to that the variability in form from season to season, for example, last year Exeter Chiefs were kept off the foot of the Prem by Newcastle and their presence in the Champions Cup was much criticised, while this year, when they’re flying high, they’re not qualified for it.

The La Rochelle v Leinster x2 and the Toulouse v Leinster finals have been outstanding, and to build up to them, there needs to be some sort of competition and selection process. Ideally, I’d trim the competition a bit, but I’ve no complaints if some clubs opt to rest their senior players and send out youngsters - it’s one way of ensuring player welfare, they certainly shouldn’t be fined. Fans know the score, and don’t need to buy tickets if they’re not interested.



...

11 Go to comments
G
GP 2 hours ago
Dan Carter weighs in with balanced analysis of Scott Robertson's All Blacks

Agree. He did not come out with obvious that no prospects have been tried in his old position at 10 re Crusaders winner this year Rivez Reihana, Edgecombe, Reuben Love etc. Beauden Barrett is finished. Damien McKenzie is brilliant off the bench and as a utility. But Richie Mo’unga is streets ahead of the competition as a specialist 10. The “competition” , when it comes to that position there is no “competition”.

8 Go to comments
R
RW 3 hours ago
My honest prediction for the Investec Champions Cup – Andy Goode

Well i just watched the Stormers Bayonne game and Stormers beat Bayonne. So who knows, maybe he has a point. Anyways, we gotta focus on La Rochelle next weekend. That will hopefully give us a booster, La Rochelle beating us in the play off match two years ago. We need to beat them back.

5 Go to comments
G
GP 3 hours ago
Four things on Razor's 2025 All Blacks Christmas wish list

Beauden Barrett with all the points and test matches behind him. He has never been a great pivot. Richie Mo’unga out played him regularly at 10 during the seven year run for the Crusaders. As for this second placing behind Daniel Carter

that regularly gets touted, is complete rubbish. Andrew Mehrtens was a far super tactician , goal kicker and runner at 10. His clutch moments for Canterbury and the Crusaders are so many. 1994 , winning penalty against Otago in Shield match for Canterbury , Super Rugby winning penalty for the Crusaders v Brumbies 2000. He also controlled masterfully the 1998 and 1999 Super Rugby away wins v Blues and Highlanders. Do not give me World Cup winning medals as a measure either. Barretts best rugby was off the bench re 2015. Many great players in other sports have not been in World Cup winning teams , especially when you look at football. In 1995 at the WC Final in South Africa, Mehrtens was crook like the rest of the team. I can only hope Richie Mo’unga gets another crack in 2027.



...

39 Go to comments
u
unknown 3 hours ago
Six Nations statement: Tom Curry 'Tunnelgate' incident

Given the lenient ban Etzebeth got I think you need to check your facts. Contepomi found out to be talking nonsense

15 Go to comments
J
JH 3 hours ago
Scott Barrett's 2027 plan explains everything about his form

What form? He’s been there since 2016 and you could probably name one standout year (2023) and the rest has been distinctively average and getting worse.

He’s not the only veteran who went completely missing in the major Tests this year, including Ardie.



...

15 Go to comments
J
J Marc 3 hours ago
Sharks name B-team for French giants as Plumtree exit fast-tracked

2002, Agen ,banned from Heineken cup for a year and fined 100000€…

11 Go to comments
J
JH 3 hours ago
Everyone knows Robertson is not supposed to be doing the coaching

Except the team has a manager, so maybe Razor should have applied for that job instead. The NZR basically hired Scott Hansen as the coach, and I’m not even sure they’re any the wiser as to who he actually is than anyone else.

All Razor seems to actually do is sit around dreaming up cringe-worthy ‘themes’ that don’t help once the team is on the field falling asleep for half the game.



...

36 Go to comments
Close
ADVERTISEMENT