Stephen Varney
Italy international rugby union player
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Stephen Lorenzo Varney (born 16 May 2001) is a professional rugby union player who primarily plays scrum-half for Exeter Chiefs in the Premiership Rugby. Although Welsh-born, he represents Italy at international level, having made his test debut against Scotland in 2020 during the Autumn Nations Cup. Varney previously played for Hartpury.[2][3] He is a fluent Welsh speaker.[4]
Varney in 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full name | Stephen Lorenzo Varney | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 16 May 2001 Carmarthen, Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 178 cm (5 ft 10 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 78 kg (172 lb; 12 st 4 lb)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Hartpury College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Varney comes from Rhoshill, Pembrokeshire, and played for Crymych RFC.[5] In 2020 he was named for Italy U20 squad, for which he qualifies through his Italian mother, Valeria.[6] Varney was named in the Italy Under 20 squad for the 2020 Six Nations Under 20s Championship.[7]
Varney made his international debut for Italy, from the bench, in 2020 in the Autumn Nations Cup against Scotland.[8] He was named in the Italy's 33-man squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.[9]
On 20 October 2024, Varney would leave Gloucester with immediate effect to join French side Vannes in the Top 14 competition.[10] On 20 March 2025, Varney returned to the Premiership in England to join Exeter Chiefs for the 2025–26 season.[11]
In December 2025, Varney signed a contract extension with Exeter Chiefs.[12][13]
Statistics
List of international test tries
As of 17 December 2025[14]
| Try | Opposing team | Location | Venue | Competition | Date | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Argentina |
Treviso, Italy | Stadio Comunale di Monigo | 2021 end-of-year rugby union internationals | 13 November 2021 | Loss | 16 - 37 |
| 2 |  Ireland |
Rome, Italy | Stadio Olimpico | 2023 Six Nations | 25 February 2023 | Loss | 20 - 34 |
| 3 |  Japan |
Treviso, Italy | Stadio Comunale di Monigo | 2023 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches | 26 August 2023 | Win | 42 – 21 |
| 4 |  Scotland |
Rome, Italy | Stadio Olimpico | 2024 Six Nations | 9 March 2024 | Win | 31 - 29 |
| 5 | Ireland |
Rome, Italy | Stadio Olimpico | 2025 Six Nations | 15 March 2025 | Loss | 17 - 22 |
| 6 |  Namibia |
Windhoek, Namibia | Hage Geingob Rugby Stadium | 2025 July Internationals | 27 June 2025 | Win | 6 - 73 |
