Ex-Tottonian Sisi makes Six Nations bow for Italy
TOTTONIANS RFC’s former player David Sisi won his second cap for Italy in the Six Nations last weekend when his side faced Wales at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
The cap comes a week after the 6’5” 18 stone flanker made his debut against Scotland at Murrayfield.
The 26-year-old former Hounsdown School pupil played rugby for Tottonians prior to 2010 when he signed his first professional contract with London Irish.
Tottonians’ vice chair Wayne Hausen coached David as a colts player, he told the A&T: “David started playing aged 12 and I first saw him in a match I was refereeing. He really stood out, not just for his size but he also had a great set of hands, an excellent rugby brain and saw space well.
“David played for Hampshire before being picked up by London Irish academy. Giselle Marthar (former-London Irish academy manager and current Wasps’ Ladies Director of Rugby who won the World Cup with England in 1994) saw great potential in him and he completed the academy scholarship before signing for London Irish before going on to represent England at U18s and U20s.”
The England U20s side that David played in won the Junior World Championships in 2013 and featured many England internationals such as Jack Nowell, Anthony Watson and Henry Slade. David won Man of the Match in the semi-finals.
David’s progression to senior rugby seemed to be in jeopardy following successive injuries that blighted his time with London Irish and Bath Rugby, whom he joined in 2013. However, since his 2017 move to Guinness PRO14 side Zebre Rugby Club, he has gone from strength to strength.
Hausen continued: “Since moving to Italy David’s shifted position to the second-row where he’s nailed down his place.
“We’re very proud of David, especially considering the obstacles he’s overcome. There are very few international players who went to a state school.”
German-born David qualifies to play for Italy through the heritage of his grandparents. In a strange quirk of fate, he made his debut against Scotland, which could have been his chosen nation as his grandparents fled there during the Second World War before having David’s father Carlo.
