Flaminio
Stadio Flaminio is the former home of the Italian national rugby union team. Discover more about this historic and now abandoned stadium with rugby gurus RugbyPass.
About Stadio Flaminio
Stadio Flaminio is a largely abandoned rugby stadium in Rome that was formerly the home of the Italian national rugby union team. The stadium’s interior spaces include a covered swimming pool, rooms for fencing, amateur wrestling, weightlifting, boxing and gymnastics. Stadio Flaminio was inducted into the RugbyPass Hall of Fame in 2021.
Stadio Flaminio was first built for the Rome Olympic Games in 1960. At the time, the stadium was primarily intended to be a football ground, and it was selected as the venue for the football final at the Olympics.
Throughout the 1980s, Stadio Flaminio was largely used as a concert venue. As a result, it hosted some of Italy’s largest gigs, including performances by Pink Floyd, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie and Michael Jackson. For one season in 1989-90, Stadio Flaminio was also the home of AS Roma and Lazio football clubs. This was because the Stadio Olimpico was being redeveloped ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
Then, in 2000, when the Italian national rugby union team were admitted to the Six Nations Championship, Stadio Flaminio became their home. Between 2000 and 2011, it staged all of Italy’s home matches in the competition. During this period, the team picked up victories over Scotland, Wales and France.
However, by 2011, the Italian national rugby team had outgrown Stadio Flaminio and the side moved to the Stadio Olimpico instead. At the time, the Italian Rugby Federation promised to return to Stadio Flaminio once it had been renovated, but these renovations never took place.
Since, Stadio Flaminio has fallen into a state of disrepair. However, it’s hoped that the stadium can once again become a multi-purpose venue if significant financial backing is received. Recently, a proposal to redevelop the stadium has been outlined by AS Roma Nuoto, a swimming and water polo club based in Rome.
