Beatrice Rigoni is currently an inside centre and winger for the Italy women’s rugby union team and Valsugana Rugby Padova. She debuted for the national team during the 2014 Women’s Six Nations when she was 18 years old.
Born on 1 August 1995, Beatrice Rigoni started playing rugby at the age of six. She trained alongside her brothers at Petrarca Rugby in Padua and remained there until she was 12 years old. She then progressed to Valsugana Rugby Padova, where she began in the U16s team before moving to the adult side.
Rigoni first took to the international stage while she was at school. She was selected for the national team in 2014 and played every Six Nations match. It was during the team’s third game of the tournament that Rigoni scored her first and second try, helping Italy to beat Scotland 45-5.
In addition to rugby, Rigoni chose to continue her education and studied pharmacy at the University of Ferrara. She managed to balance her degree with her training and was named for the Italy squad that competed at the 2017 Rugby World Cup.
Fast forward to 2022 and Beatrice Rigoni was selected for the delayed 2021 Rugby World Cup. The team improved on their previous result – they finished in ninth place at the 2017 tournament – and made it to the quarter-finals.
A key player for the talented Italian national side, we’re looking forward to seeing more from Beatrice Rigoni in the coming years.