Zebre Parma face another season where simply improving on past finishes would count as progress. Defensive frailties, limited attacking output and a constrained transfer budget shape realistic expectations under coach Massimo Brunello.
Anything better than propping up the table would be an improvement for Zebre Parma this season (Thomas Flinkow/Sportsfile via Getty Images) TAGS:
United Rugby Championship URC 2026-27 preview Zebre Zebre Parma'a new season is something of a conundrum.
On the one hand, anything better than bottom of the table will be an improvement for a side that's finished 16th in all but one of the last five seasons.
# Quick summary
Zebre Parma enter the URC 2026-27 season with constrained expectations. Recent seasons have seen them finish bottom of the table in four of the last five years. Major issues are a leaky defence and a low try count in attack. The club's president frames Zebre as a training franchise for Italian talent, and that influence shows in recruitment and development decisions. Massimo Brunello remains head coach and is respected, but limited transfer activity means he must work with what he has.
# Why this season matters for Zebre
Anything better than propping up the bottom of the table would be progress. Last season produced only two wins after the departures of several regulars. Defence was especially poor (85 tries conceded) and attack produced only 43 tries, fewer than all but one team. The club's approach favors giving Italian players space to develop, which helps the national pathway but makes immediate competitiveness more difficult.
# Squad overview
# One to watch
# Coaching and staff changes
# Transfers and squad movement (selected)
Departures: Enrique Pieretto, Gonzalo Garcia, Malik Faissal, Albert Batista, Shilo Klein, Martin Roger Farias, Guido Volpi, Jacopo Bianchi, plus two retirements (Enrico Lucchin, Luca Morisi).
# Season outlook and prediction
With limited transfer activity and underlying structural problems on defence and attack, Zebre will struggle to move much higher up the table. Brunello's coaching gives them a chance to be competitive in patches, and avoiding bottom spot is the realistic target. Betting odds listed in the source placed Zebre long-shot (500-1), reflecting external expectations.
# What to watch early in the season
I ducali ripartono dalla sfida casalinga al XV di Pretoria. KO ore 18.30 L'articolo URC: le Zebre Parma all’esordio con i vicecampioni in carica dei Bulls. La preview del match sembra essere il primo su On Rugby .
Tutto quello che c'è da sapere sulla nuova stagione del torneo transnazionale che vedrà in campo anche le due franchigie italiane L'articolo Cosa aspettarsi da Benetton e Zebre, colpi di mercato, novità sulle formazioni e dirette tv: tutto sull’URC 2026-27 sembra essere il primo su On Rugby .
Benetton, now coached by former Welsh boss Wayne Pivac, will be aiming to push for place in the URC play-offs (Timothy Rogers/Getty Images) How will the Italian side fare under Wayne Pivac’s management in the upcoming URC season? How will the Italian side fare under Wayne Pivac’s management in the upcoming URC season?
Munster look likely to be battling for a play-off spot in the new URC season (Seb Daly/Sportsfile via Getty Images) The 2023 URC champions seem likely to find themselves fighting for a play-off berth. The 2023 URC champions seem likely to find themselves fighting for a play-off berth.
Confermato l’accordo per i prossimi tre anni: in diretta anche la fase finale del torneo a partire dai playoff L'articolo United Rugby Championship: Benetton Treviso e Zebre Parma in diretta tv e streaming sui canali Sky per i prossimi tre anni sembra essere il primo su On Rugby .
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