Andrea Zambonin: Exeter sign Italy lock for 2025-26 season

Italy lock Andrea Zambonin has agreed to join Premiership club Exeter Chiefs next season.

The 24-year-old has won 10 caps and will move from Italian club Zebre, where his contract expires at the end of the current campaign.

He made his Zebre debut in September 2021 and has gone on to make 60 appearances for the United Rugby Championship (URC) side.

He will become the third Italian player in Exeter’s squad next season, joining fellow forward Ross Vintcent and scrum-half Stephen Varney who is also moving to Sandy Park this summer.

“I’m excited and honoured to play for a club with such a rich history as Exeter Chiefs,” Zambonin told the club website.

“Playing in the Gallagher Premiership has always been a dream of mine, and it’s what’s driven me to give my best over the years.”

Exeter have not disclosed the length of deal Zambonin has signed.

“We’ll have some rotation at the lock position at the end of the season, so Andrea coming in is a very important part of the additions we’ll make to our frontline playing group,” Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter said.

“He’s young, ambitious and he obviously knows Ross Vintcent very well. For us it’s another move forward, bringing in international-quality players in the pack in particular.

“We want to create a group that has a mix of experience towards the higher-experienced end of the scale.

“In recent seasons our experience range has been more on the youth and exuberance side of things, but we’d like to get that balance up a little across the squad moving forward.”