Italy's Alessandro Zanni retires from rugby to coach at Benetton
Fellow countryman Dean Budd calls time on his international career
Tuesday 16 June 2020 16:23, UK
Italy's Alessandro Zanni has retired from playing rugby and will join the coaching staff at Benetton, the club he has been at since 2009.
Zanni, who won 119 caps for the Azzurri, is the country's second-most capped player alongside Martin Castrogiovanni and behind Sergio Parisse.
The 36-year-old made his Italy debut in 2005.
Zanni appeared in four Rugby World Cups and played 54 times in the Six Nations.
"I've always worked to return the trust shown in me by the coaches who gave me the privilege of wearing the national team shirt. At 36, it's time to look beyond that," Zanni said in a statement from the Italian rugby federation.
The announcement came shortly after fellow-countryman Dean Budd called time on his international career after winning 29 caps.
New Zealand-born 33-year-old Budd, who qualified to play for Italy in 2014 through residency, is among a group of seven more Benetton players who are leaving the Treviso-based Pro14 club.
