The national rugby union teams of England and Italy have been playing each other in Test rugby since 1991, and by March 2026, they had met in 33 test matches. Of these, 32 have been won by England and 1 won by Italy.
Their first meeting was on 8 October 1991 in the 1991 Rugby World Cup; England won 36âÂÂ6. England had played Italy three times in Rugby World Cups, once in a Rugby World Cup qualifier at Huddersfield, and once in an Autumn International, prior to ItalyâÂÂs joining the Six Nations Championship. Italy's inclusion into the Six Nations Championship in 2000 has ensured annual meetings between the two sides.
England have typically dominated the head-to-head between the sides, despite some spirited displays by Italy. In 2026, Italy registered their first win in the fixture. The match ended in a 23âÂÂ18 victory for Italy in Stadio Olimpico, Rome during the fourth round of the 2026 Six Nations Championship.
<small>Note: Date shown in brackets indicates when the record was last set.</small>
Below is a list of matches that Italy has awarded test match status by virtue of awarding caps, but England did not. An England XV played Italy in 1990, in Rovigo, but this match was not considered a 'full' international by England, so no full caps were awarded.