"They Built Me" - Italy captain Michele Lamaro reveals Roman roots and journey to Six Nations

Once the current Six Nations fallow week comes to an end, Italy fans will look forward to their incoming clash with England back upon home soil. The Azzurri enjoyed a strong start to the Championship, with a home win over Scotland before pushing Ireland to their limit out in Dublin.

The latest weekend saw Lamaro and his men capitulate for a one-sided loss to Grand Slam hopefuls France, with Gonzalo Quesada's side eager to defeat England for the first time, when the teams meet on Saturday, 7th March.

The 2026 Six Nations marks the fifth Championship for Lamaro as Italy captain. Looking back upon where his journey began, the back row bruiser was quick to pay homage to the small rugby club the Eternal City, which first sprouted his dreams of becoming his countries' captain.

“I was born and grown in Rome, in a little club called Primavera Rugby,” Lamaro said. “I’m still very connected with them. I love catching up with them.”

“They taught me a lot around the passion for this sport. That was the main objective of the whole club. They wanted to share that passion with kids and young players, and that was absolutely what they did with me.”

As a young player, Lamaro moved through several Roman clubs, including Lazio Rugby, before later joining Petrarca in Padua. Each stop added something different, but the stone-chiseled Roman foundation was already there for a career upon the Test match stage.

“Club rugby was very, very important to me,” he says. “Those clubs gave me my real base. When I think of my past, I think of them. They built me, and I owe them a lot.”

The decision to leave Rome in his late teenage years marked a turning point for Lamaro. Playing for Lazio while finishing school, Lamaro chose to move north to Petrarca, close to Treviso, and take his first real step towards the professional game with his sights set on URC club Benetton.

“That was my first step into a professional career,” he says. “I was studying engineering in Padua, but I realised the university was taking too much focus. I decided to focus on rugby, and that’s when I started believing this could actually be my life.”

“When I was 10 or 11, players were leaving clubs for slightly better environments,” he recalls. “My decision was to stay. I knew how much the club gave me. I loved the coaches, and my parents supported that decision.”

“That’s where I understood what it means to struggle, to go under fatigue, and how much you love your club. And how much you want to give back.”

Two coaches stand out above all others for Lamaro. Marco Sepe, one of his first coaches at Primavera, who shared the values of friendship, connection, and love for being together. And Cesare Marrucci, who coached him later in the academy system.

“He didn’t want to make you just a better player,” Lamaro says. “He wanted you to be a better person. That was his only goal.”

Such prolific reasons are why Lamaro takes great pride in the United Rugby's Championship's 'Origin Rounds'. Once the back row wraps up his international duties come the close of the 2026 Six Nations, Rounds 10 and 11 of the URC will see the Benetton battler run out with his heart on his sleeve.

“When I think of origins, I think of identity,” Lamaro says. “Little clubs struggling with one thing only, sharing passion with kids, giving them the opportunity to have fun, to spend quality time together.”

“That’s where all the passion we show on the biggest stage comes from.”

And for the next generation of Italian players, his message is simple.

“Keep believing. Keep following that passion and that fun. I’m sure you’ll have zero regrets at the end of the journey.”