Tito Lupini (12 November 1955 – 23 July 2021) was a South African-born Italian rugby union player who played as a prop.
Born and raised in South Africa by Italian parents, Lupini as a player represented the provincial team of Transvaal.
After the appointment of former Springboks coach Nelie Smith for Rugby Rovigo, he moved to Italy in 1985 and played for Rovigo, in whose first row constituted a key element (also being Captain of the team) for the achievement of two national titles (1988 and 1990), alongside fellow south africans Naas Botha and Gert Smal.
The Smith-Lupini-Botha-Smal era is still fondly remembered in Rovigo, the most rugby addicted city in Italy, for the impact it had in ending a 9 years winning drought for the team.
[1] Debuting for the Italian national team in the 1985-87 FIRA Trophy against Romania at Constanţa, Socialist Republic of Romania, Lupini was called up by the then-coach Marco Bollesan in the roster which took part in the first edition of the Rugby World Cup, playing all the three matches where Italy played.