Macron’s new kits for Italrugby pay homage to Renaissance art and to one of its greatest masters, Michelangelo Buonarroti. They also convey a clear sense of national identity through the words of the Italian anthem. Sport and art come together to express the identity and excellence of Italy. In this upcoming season’s games, the Azzurri will represent the true spirit and values of rugby and promote the symbols of the Renaissance, its art and its culture. The Italian men’s rugby team will play in the new edition of the Guinness Six Nations this coming winter (starting 1st February against Scotland at Murrayfield). They will take part in the Autumn Nations Series in test matches against Argentina, Georgia and the All Blacks even sooner, in November.

In preparation for the 2024/25 men’s and women’s international seasons, the Italian Rugby Federation revealed today the new game sets designed by Macron that the Blues will wear. The presentation took place at the Macron Campus. The new kits will make their first appearance on the international scene in South Africa at the end of the month, when the Italian women’s XV will take on Scotland, Japan, and the host side.

Marzio Innocenti, president of FIR, along with other top figures from the Federation, the coaches Gonzalo Quesada and Giovanni Raineri, Gianluca Pavanello, CEO of Macron, and players representing the Italian men’s and women’s teams, were present at the unveiling ceremony for the new 2024/25 collection.

“It is a pleasure for me to present Italian rugby’s new shirts here at the Macron Campus, where the ideas, plans and designs for them are conceived and implemented,” declared Macron’s CEO Gianluca Pavanello. “Our new Italrugby kits perfectly embody beauty, art and Italian identity. I’m sure that the players will wear them with pride and a real sense of belonging to the colours and symbols they honour on the pitch. The Azzurri were key protagonists last season and will be again in the season about to start. We are delighted to take the field alongside FIR and to continue living the same emotions together. We shall support players and staff with unbeatable sportswear for quality, technology, performance, style and elegance.”

Marzio Innocenti, President of FIR, the Italian Rugby Federation, added: “Macron is an amazing partner for Italian rugby and a great example of Italian excellence. Like our players, Macron is a true ambassador for Italy on the world stage. Our teams’ new shirts not only satisfy modern rugby’s need for technology and performance but, through their inspired styling, testify to one of the greatest periods of cultural development – a period that is closely associated with the history and identity of Italy. And the Italian identity is important to all our players: it’s the power behind the excellent results that have consolidated our position among the top ten nations in rugby.”

Italrugby’s new Home shirt is blue with a two-button polo neck. The sleeve cuffs are in a lighter shade known as Renaissance blue. The shirt is characterised by all-over dye-sub printed graphics in a slightly darker blue, representing typical Renaissance ornamental decorations.

The customised inside neck label has a background that replicates the graphics of the shirt and is decorated with the FIR badge and a phrase taken from the Italian national anthem: “STRINGIAMCI A COORTE, L’ITALIA CHIAMÒ”. On the left of the label are the Macron logo and the words ‘Designed in Bologna’, certifying that the garment is conceived, designed and produced at the Macron Campus. The line from the national anthem is repeated, interspersed with the FIR logo, on the sweatband that runs around the inside of the neck. The Macron Hero is embroidered in white on the right of the chest, and a woven patch bearing the badge of the Italian Rugby Federation is applied to the left. The word ‘ITALIA’ is embroidered in gold behind the neck with an Italian flag beneath it. At the bottom of the shirt back is an embossed print of the fingers of God and Adam taken from the famous fresco ‘The Creation of Adam’ by Michelangelo Buonarroti, which forms part of the decoration of the Sistine Chapel. The blue shorts with white drawstrings also feature the same Renaissance graphics.

The Away shirt is white and has a polo neck with details in the colours of the Italian flag. Renaissance graphics are the key feature of this shirt, too: they are applied as blue dye-sub prints to the sleeves and shoulders and in a light grey that creates a tone-on-tone effect on the front and back of the shirt. The inside neck label, sweatband, gold ‘ITALIA’ lettering and tricolour flag are identical to the Home shirt’s. The Macron Hero is embroidered in blue on the chest alongside the FIR badge. At the bottom of the back, this shirt too has embossed graphics depicting the fingers of God and Adam taken from Michelangelo’s masterpiece. The shorts are white with tone-on-tone Renaissance front and back graphics and blue sides.

Like all the sportswear Macron produces for its partner clubs and federations, the new shirts are made from Eco Fabric, a polyester material derived from post-consumer recycled plastic. The shirts are made mainly from Eco Armevo with Eco Bodytex and Eco Strong Mesh inserts for maximum strength, lightness, and breathability.