Tigers sign front-row pair

Editor

Leicester Tigers bolstered their front-row ranks on Monday with the signings of prop forwards Michele Rizzo and Aniseko Sio.

Leicester Tigers bolstered their front-row ranks on Monday with the signings of prop forwards Michele Rizzo and Aniseko Sio.

Italy international loosehead Rizzo arrives at Tigers from Treviso, and he will be joined at Welford Road by the Samoan Sio.

Rizzo, 31, joins his former Treviso club-mates Robert Barbieri and Leonardo Ghiraldini in making the move from Italy to the East Midlands.

Captain of Padova before spending five seasons with Treviso, Rizzo won the first of his 15 Test caps for Italy in 2005. He has also made more than 20 Heineken Cup appearances, including both matches for Treviso against Tigers last season.

Samoan loosehead prop Sio will join countryman Logovi'i Mulipola at Leicester. The 21-year-old comes from the Vaimoso club in Samoa and has come through the under-20s and 'A' team levels to start the Test against Japan this summer.

Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill said: “Michele Rizzo is an experienced player in Europe and at Test level, while Aniseko Sio is a young player who wants to come and develop his game with us.

“We have a very good group of senior props led by Marcos Ayerza, Dan Cole and Logovi'i Mulipola, plus younger guys Fraser Balmain and Tom Bristow who have some first-team rugby experience with us, and Tiziano Pasquali and Riccardo Brugnara who have been coming through, and we look forward to seeing Michele and Aniseko working with them in the new season.”