Players and pundits are rallying around former Italian international star Andrea Masi after the 2011 Six Nations player of the tournament revealed he's facing a battle to remain in the United Kingdom.

The 95-times capped back has spent the last eight years in English rugby with Gallagher Premiership giants Wasps.

He is now the club's academy coach having called time on his stellar career in 2016 on medical advice after suffering an Achilles injury in the 2015 World Cup - the fourth global tournament he played in.

But the player, who in 1999, aged 18, became the youngest to be capped by Italy, revealed on social media this week he's facing a British history test as part of his application to remain in the UK.

Having sat the test, he went on Twitter to say: "I failed it, I made eight errors.

"The test was incredibly difficult, most of the questions were about dates.. All the four participants failed it. I’m p***ed off!"

The former Biarritz and Racing 92 player then challenged his followers to sit the test and wondered 'how many British people would pass it?'.

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His predicament drew a huge response on social media with former England flanker James Haskell revealing he'd failed it, adding: "This is the best I could do? It's b*****ks."

Masi's failed test doesn't mean he has to leave immediately as long as his Leave to Remain paperwork is valid.

He can keep taking the test at £50 a time until he passes.

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But he has to wait at least seven days before he can apply for the resit.

You can try the test here.