Why Italy Rugby Wears Blue: Origins and Meaning of the Azzurri Jersey

Blue jerseys thundering down the pitch. But why blue? If you flip through European stadiums in your mind, you'll picture most teams donning flags on their backs—England in white, Ireland in green, France with their tricolor badges. Then there’s Italy, draped in piercing blue, no trace of their red, white, and green flag. The story behind this color isn't just about sports. It’s about national identity, royal houses, and age-old traditions that many Italians don’t even realize they’re carrying on. The blue jersey—"maglia azzurra"—is such a big deal that it’s become a symbol of Italian pride way beyond the rugby field, and knowing why makes the next time you watch the Azzurri all the more interesting.

The Royal Roots of the Azzurri Jersey

Rewind to the 19th century, long before Italy joined the world of international rugby. Italy wasn’t always a unified country. Before 1861, it was a jumble of kingdoms and duchies. The most powerful? The Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia, home to the House of Savoy. The Savoys are the real source of Italy’s blue—“azzurro Savoia.” Their royal blue was used on their banners and even their royal tunics, dating all the way back to the 14th century. That same shade was later picked up as a symbol of unity when Italy finally became one country.

So even though you won’t see blue on the Italian flag, blue stands for the country's hard-won unity, the monarchy that steered the country together, and a nod to a royal family many forget existed. The color outlasted the monarchy itself—when the Italian Republic replaced the royal family in 1946, Italians kept the blue for their national sports teams. Not just in rugby—Italy’s footballers (the world-famous “Azzurri”), athletes, and Olympians all proudly wear it. It’s so deep-rooted in modern Italy that in 2006, the year the Italian football team won the World Cup, aisles in stores sold out of anything blue before the big final.

The Arrival of Blue on Italian Rugby Fields

Italy’s rugby history is a bit newer. Rugby landed in Italy around the early 1900s, and the national team made its international debut in the late 1920s. At the start, there wasn’t much talk—the team needed a color, and tradition stuck. Unlike football (which got its “Azzurri” nickname in 1911), rugby players picked up blue from day one. That blue jersey became official for their test match debut against Spain, January 1929, in Barcelona. No one called them the Azzurri in rugby circles yet, but the team—unified in Savoy blue—looked unmistakably Italian. The blue jersey has barely changed in tone since then. Shirt sponsors, collar styles, and fabric have come and gone, but the shade remains stubbornly loyal.

The myth goes that players once wore white first, but early 20th-century photos show blue always predominated in important matches. The Italian Rugby Federation even once debated switching to tricolor stripes during fascist rule—Mussolini wanted to push the flag—but blue won out because it was so beloved. Fans, still today, call Italy's rugby team "gli Azzurri" out of respect for history and pride over fashion.

Blue Beyond Rugby: The Sportwide tradition

Italy’s love for blue isn’t just a rugby story. The country’s Olympic teams, cycling squads, swimming heroes, volleyball aces, and even basketballers turn out in blue. Italians themselves link “azzurro” with sport and pride so much that Italian language has absorbed a phrase: “Squadra Azzurra” (blue team), commonly meaning “national team” no matter the sport.

The tradition runs so deep that athletes receive blue tracksuits, shoes, and travel bags printed with “Italia.” For anniversaries and centenaries, Italian federations often call back to classic blue kits—at the 2020 European Football Championship, the Italian soccer team’s retro blue kit sold out in hours. And when Italy hosted the 1960 Olympics in Rome, the parade of blue warmed the hearts of millions watching on black-and-white TVs.

Why not red, white, or green? Easy. Try playing sports in all-white and keeping clean—Italy does use white as an away color, but mud doesn’t care about tradition. Red and green are less common, though the flag always gets a spot on the jersey somewhere—as a badge, neck trim, or sock stripe. Just take a look next time Italy lines up for the anthems.

Curious Facts, Misconceptions, and Unusual Moments

Some fans outside Italy think the blue is a random pick, or, less charitably, a fashion statement. The truth is much deeper. And every so often, there’s a twist to the tradition. For example, in the 1983 Five Nations, Italy wore sky blue instead of royal blue due to a kit supplier mistake—fans noticed instantly and weren’t happy. In 1997, the team wore a tricolore (flag-inspired) warmup top for one game only—most players say it felt like breaking a superstition.

There are quirky details, too. The blue isn’t always the same shade—there’s no official Pantone color, so it rides a spectrum from almost turquoise (1980s) to deep royal blue (modern) depending on the era, what’s on trend, and who’s supplying the fabric that year. The Italian Olympic Committee sometimes debates standardizing the color for all sports, but nostalgia wins out more than official decrees.

Here’s a snapshot of Italy’s blue in rugby history:

Superstitions are big, too. Italian rugby players famously avoid changing the kit color during tournaments or after a win. Longtime prop Andrea Lo Cicero once refused to wear a special-edition tricolor sock during a warmup, saying, “blue brought us this far—we stick with blue.”

How Fans Connect With the Blue Jersey

This blue loyalty isn’t just for looks. For Italians, pulling on the blue shirt is a true honor, and for fans, a symbol of hope, unity, and the cheer of underdog victories. Rugby in Italy has always played second fiddle to football, yet the rugby “Azzurri” pack stadiums whenever they host a Six Nations fixture. Whether Italy is outclassed or celebrating a rare win—like that emotional 2000 debut against Scotland, or the stunning win over Wales in Cardiff in 2022—the blue wave in the stands never falters.

Kids from Turin to Palermo wear blue shirts, grownups talk about “quelle partite in azzurro” (those games in blue), and even new arrivals to Italy—immigrants, expats, and tourists—buy blue merchandise just because it “feels Italian.” Local rugby clubs up and down the country, from Milan to Catania, also dress their youth squads in blue sleeves on big match days. It’s a simple way of linking a local team to a national tradition, but ask any Italian parent why the jersey’s blue, and they’re likely to shrug and say: “It’s always been this way.”

Feeling brave? Local shops in Rome and Milan sometimes stock match-worn blue jerseys, but those are fiercely collected and never last long on the shelves. Fans say the real thing (especially those from famous matches) brings luck—just like the Italians sing when their team takes the pitch, "Forza Azzurri!"