USA vs Italy Women’s Rugby: WXV Kickoff, Lineups and Match Preview

The USA Women’s Eagles host Italy at GEODIS Park in Nashville on Saturday, October 24, for the second meeting between the teams in the 2026 WXV Global Series. The match opens a rugby doubleheader, with USA’s men scheduled to face Australia XV afterward. The Nashville result is still pending at this preview’s publication time; the confirmed latest result between these teams is the USA’s 36–27 win in Mansfield on October 17.

USA vs Italy kickoff time and venue

Kickoff is scheduled for 3:15 p.m. Nashville time on Saturday, October 24. Nashville is on Central Daylight Time (CDT, UTC−05:00) that day, so the start is 20:15 UTC. The Italian Rugby Federation lists the same kickoff as 10:15 p.m. CEST (UTC+02:00) in Italy. GEODIS Park lists doors opening at 2:15 p.m. CDT and the event starting at 3:15 p.m.

The women’s WXV fixture is the opening game of the venue’s USA Rugby International Series doubleheader. USA Women face Italy first; the USA Men’s Eagles are then scheduled to play Australia XV. The GEODIS Park event page confirms the order and event details. World Rugby’s match center lists Zoe Naude as referee.

The previous result and what is at stake

In the first October meeting, played at Texas Health Mansfield Stadium on October 17, the USA beat Italy 36–27. The World Rugby match record confirms that score. It is useful context for the rematch, but it is not the result of the Nashville fixture. At the scheduled publication time, Saturday’s game has not kicked off, so no final Nashville score is available to report.

RugbyPass reports that USA enter the match seeking a fifth straight Test win after four consecutive victories, and that the Eagles made four changes to their starting XV from the Mansfield game. Prop Lauryn Carlton is named to start and is listed as set for her first cap. Italy, meanwhile, has a chance to answer the narrow first-test loss with a second performance against the same opponent one week later.

Official matchday squads

The USA selection below follows the matchday 23 reported by RugbyPass; the USA Eagles roster announcement provides the broader WXV squad. Italy’s 23 were announced by the Federazione Italiana Rugby.

USA Women’s Eagles

Starting XV

1. Lauryn Carlton
2. Kathryn Treder
3. Keia Mae Sagapolu-Senele
4. Hallie Taufoou
5. Rachel Ehrecke
6. Hann Humphreys
7. Georgie Perris-Redding (co-captain)
8. Freda Tafuna
9. Taina Tukuafu
10. Nina Mason
11. Alev Kelter
12. Bella Vogel
13. Emily Henrich
14. Bulou Mataitoga
15. Ashley Cowdrey

Replacements: 16 Paige Stathopoulos, 17 Hope Rogers, 18 Reece Woods, 19 Erica Jarrell-Searcy (co-captain), 20 Kapoina Bailey, 21 Kate Zackary, 22 Abigail Paton, 23 Katana Howard.

Italy

Starting XV

1. Vittoria Zanette
2. Vittoria Vecchini
3. Alessia Pilani
4. Giulia Cavina
5. Giordana Duca
6. Francesca Sgorbini
7. Alissa Ranuccini
8. Elisa Giordano
9. Sofia Stefan
10. Emma Stevanin
11. Francesca Granzotto
12. Sara Mannini
13. Michela Sillari
14. Aura Muzzo
15. Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi (captain)

Replacements: 16 Silvia Fent, 17 Giorgia Cuoghi, 18 Gaia Dosi, 19 Elettra Costantini, 20 Mascia Jelic, 21 Alia Bitonci, 22 Beatrice Rigoni, 23 Alyssa D’Incà.

Match details to watch

A useful way to judge the contest is to look beyond the final score. The lineups point to several practical checkpoints:

• USA’s new front-row combination: Carlton’s first-cap start makes the opening scrum and her early involvement worth watching. A stable set piece gives the backs cleaner possession, but one strong scrum does not establish a pattern; look for repeatable ball delivery and fewer penalties over the match.
• Control after first contact: Watch whether either side can keep the ball through multiple phases, protect it at the breakdown, and turn territory into points. A team may hold possession without making meaningful progress, so carries beyond the gain line and clean support at the ruck are better signs of pressure than possession alone.
• Italy’s leaders and the response: FIR says Michela Sillari is set to reach 100 international caps and Vittoria Vecchini her 50th. Their starting roles give Italy experienced options through the midfield and front row. The key measure is how Italy converts that experience into disciplined defense and scoring chances, especially after conceding momentum.
• Bench impact late: Both teams list eight replacements. In the final quarter, check whether substitutions preserve scrum stability, defensive connection, and accuracy under fatigue. A late score can change the margin quickly, so the match timeline matters as much as the headline number.

After full time, use World Rugby’s match center for the official result, timeline, and statistics. A 36–27 score from October 17 should remain labeled as the first test; only the Nashville match’s own final whistle can supply the rematch result. The team sheets show who was selected, but they cannot predict performance or guarantee a close game.