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. In 2002 the Italian championship was reformed with the strongest ten teams taking part in the new Super 10 competition, Seria A became the second division of Italian rugby union.
The competition runs from September to May. After a home-and-away season, the top four teams play a knock-out competition to decide the championship. The winners are awarded the Albo d'Oro trophy.
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. Treviso, Viadana and Calvisano have dominated the championship in recent years.
Over time Italian rugby union has 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). In 2005 the FIR decided to introduce a rule requiring teams to field at least 11 Italians out of their 22 man squad. 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. With the possible advent of the Rainbow Cup Italy may well end up joining the Celtic league with their 12-team league being streamlined into four district sides.
Currently the Italian leagues are structured in the following way:-
|
1929 Ambrosiana Milano 1930 Amatori Milano 1931 Amatori Milano 1932 Amatori Milano 1933 Amatori Milano 1934 Amatori Milano 1935 Rugby Roma 1936 Amatori Milano 1937 Rugby Roma 1938 Amatori Milano 1939 Amatori Milano 1940 Amatori Milano 1941 Amatori Milano 1942 Amatori Milano 1943 Amatori Milano 1946 Amatori Milano 1947 Ginnastica Torino 1978 Rugby Roma 1949 Rugby Roma 1950 Parma 1951 Rovigo 1951 Rovigo 1952 Rovigo 1953 Rovigo 1954 Rovigo 1955 Parma |
1956 Faema Treviso 1957 Parma 1958 Fiamme Oro Padova 1959 Fiamme Oro Padova 1960 Fiamme Oro Padova 1961 Fiamme Oro Padova 1962 Rovigo 1963 Rovigo 1964 Rovigo 1965 Partenope 1966 Partenope 1967 L'Aquila 1968 Fiamme Oro Padova 1969 L'Aquila 1970 Petrarca Padova 1971 Petrarca Padova 1972 Petrarca Padova 1973 Petrarca Padova 1974 Petrarca Padova 1975 Concordia Brescia 1976 Sanson Rovigo 1977 Petrarca Padova 1978 Metalcrom Treviso 1979 Sansom Rovigo 1980 Petrarca Padova 1981 Mael L'Aquila |
1982 Scavolini L'Aquila 1983 Benetton Treviso 1984 Petrarca Padova 1985 Petrarca Padova 1986 Petrarca Padova 1987 Petrarca Padova 1988 Colli Euganei Rovigo 1989 Benetton Treviso 1990 Cagnoni Rovigo 1991 Mediolanum Amatori Milano 1992 Benetton Treviso 1993 Charro Amatori Milano 1994 L'Aquila 1995 Milan Amatori Milano 1996 Milan Amatori Milano 1997 Benetton Treviso 1998 Benetton Treviso 1999 Benetton Treviso 2000 R.D.S. Rugby Roma 2001 Benetton Treviso 2002 Arix Viadana 2003 Benetton Treviso 2004 Benetton Treviso 2005 Ghial Rugby Calvisano |