The Super 10 is the national rugby union competition in Italy. The first Italian championship took place in 1929 with 6 of the 16 teams that existed in Italy.

Parma is the only city to have two teams (Overmach Rugby Parma and SKG Gran Rugby). The majority of the other teams are either from Veneto or Lombardy in the North of Italy.

It runs from September to May. After a home-and-away season, the top four teams play a knock-out competition to decide the championship.

Over time Italian rugby union evolved; the clubs are better equipped and better organised have begun to train their players better. There is more sponsorship money and an influx of foreign players (some of whom have gone on to represent Italy qualifying under the 3 year rule). Despite this the top Italian players often play in France which means that the Italian league is not a particularly good place to build the national team.

Despite quickly rising playing standards and more media attention on rugby union. Italian teams competing in the Heineken Cup and European Rugby Shield, have generally struggled to compete against the more established teams of France and England as well as the provinces and regions of Ireland and Wales. Some believe that Italy would be better off entering merged teams as the Welsh do but so far this has been resisted.

Currently the Italian leagues are structured in the following way:-

• Italian Elite Championship (Super 10) made up of 10 teams
• Seria A: 20 teams who play each other home and away
• Seria B: divided in four divisons of 10 teams who play each other home and away
• Seria C
• Under 21 Championship and Under 19 Championship: youth teams from Super 10 clubs

Teams 2004/05

• Admo Leonessa 1928
• Amatori Catania
• ARD Rovigo
• Arix Viadana
• Benetton Treviso
• Conad L'Aquila Rugby
• Ghial Rugby Calvisano
• Overmach Rugby Parma
• Safilo Petraca Rugby Padova
• SKG Gran Rugby

Past winners

See also

• Italy national rugby union team
• Heineken Cup
• European Challenge Cup
• European Shield

External links

• Official site