The Welsh Rugby Union has confirmed it is investigating serious allegations concerning the conduct of some of the Wales Under-20s squad during their stay in Italy for the World Rugby U20 Championship.
The union released a statement after multiple reports in the Italian press accused several players of drunken, disorderly, and destructive behaviour following their final match of the tournament on Saturday, July 19, in Rovigo.
A WRU spokesperson said: “We are aware of the reports and are looking into the matter. We will respond in the appropriate manner when all the facts of the situation have been established.”
The WRU has not commented further, but the claims being examined are extensive and include accusations of players storming the stage at a local civil rights music festival, causing damage at their hotel, and behaving in an anti-social manner in the city centre.
According to local newspaper Il Gazzettino, a group of players disrupted the Voices for Freedom event in Piazza Matteotti — part of the Polesine Pride celebrations organised by Arcigay. Eyewitnesses described loud shouting and inappropriate behaviour that interrupted performances.
During a speech by actress Silvia Ferreri, one player reportedly bypassed security and grabbed the microphone, shouting “incomprehensible phrases,” before ignoring calls to leave the stage.
Actor and MC Michele Lionello had to step in to recover the microphone and defuse the situation.
Italian police — including officers reassigned from a nearby homicide investigation — were called to intervene after members of the group allegedly continued shouting.
“No one was hurt, and there was no physical violence,” Il Gazzettino reported, “but the players’ conduct disrupted a peaceful event and is now under law enforcement investigation.”
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Earlier that evening, the same group - who managed to win just one match of five played and finished a distant eighth - had reportedly caused a disturbance in Rovigo’s Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II.
Witnesses said players appeared drunk, disoriented, and unaware of how to return to their hotel. Some were alleged to have urinated on walls and knocked over bins, furniture, and signage outside bars and restaurants.
The group was allegedly denied entry to the Monalisa Lounge Bar before continuing along Via Badaloni, where further vandalism was reported.
One individual was photographed swinging a large street sign, while others toppled chairs
and bins.
Wales finished eighth at the U20 Championship after winning just one of their five matches, ending their campaign with a 31–23 defeat to hosts Italy in Rovigo.
Head coach Richard Whiffin is yet to comment on the allegations.
On the field, Whiffin believes there are plenty of lessons to have emerged from his side’s performances that can better prepare the ‘Class of 26’ for their competition in Georgia.
World Rugby announced last week that next year’s expanded tournament, growing from 12 to 16 teams, will be held in Tbilisi and Kutaisi and after finishing eighth for the second year in a row Whiffin is already looking ahead to improvements for the next challenge.
Wales U20 coach Richard Whiffin. Pic: Alamy
“It has been a tournament of missed chances and I‘m disappointed overall. When you look back at the Argentina game and France in the second half, we were right in the mix,” sad Whiffiin.
“It was the same against Italy, but we didn’t execute our plan well enough to get the results we were after. I’m still proud of the efforts of the boys over the season.
“We had some good results in the Six Nations, but in the World Championships we came up short. The conditions were really tough and something many of the players hadn’t come up against before.
“We’ve already started talking about our preparations ahead of next year’s tournament in Georgia, which could be equally as hot. We also need to be better in our set piece – it just wasn’t good enough in the tournament and cost us opportunities on both sides of the ball.
“We have a number of players available to come back next year and they will have at least learned what it takes to play at this level.”
WALES U20 AT 2005 WORLD RUGBY U20 CHAMPIONSHIPS
Pool B
Wales 27 – 34 Argentina
Wales 21 – 35 France
Wales 35 – 25 Spain
5th – 7th Place Play-Off Semi-Final
England 51 – 13 Wales
7th Place Play-Off
Italy 31-23 Wales
