Italy already singing as they arrive for World Cup

A clearly relaxed squad were on the shuttle bus after disembarking from the plane and they sang a classic Italian pop song in a video shared by the Italy Rugby Federation on Instagram.

Toto Cutugno was an Italian singer who died on August 22nd, and the Italian rugby players sang along to his biggest hit, L'Italiano (The Italian), shortly after touching down in France.

Full back Ange Capuozzo (24) and fly half Tommaso Allan (30) were the most enthusiastic, singing and clapping along, while Welsh-born scrumhalf Stephen Varney (22) looked slightly bemused as his teammates enjoyed the sing-along.

The song, a dedication to Italian emigrants released in 1983, begins with the lines "let me sing with my guitar in hand, let me sing I am an Italian".

The video of the Italian team shows them singing the final words of the catchy tune which translates to "let me sing because I'm proud of it, I'm an Italian, a real Italian".

After their arrival in Lyon, the team left for their base camp in Bourgoin-Jallieu, a place where Capuozzo will feel at home, with his birthplace, Pont-de-Claix, just 70km away.

The Italians will hope to keep on singing once the action gets underway at the World Cup. Kieran Crowley's side begin the tournament with a Pool A game with Namibia on Saturday in Saint-Etienne.

Italy face a tough task in France, where they take on the hosts and New Zealand, but as Cutugno (and Capuozzo) sang "Buongiorno Italia che non si spaventa" - (Good morning Italy that doesn't get scared).