The Italian Rugby Federation ( it, Federazione Italiana Rugby) or FIR is the governing body for the sport of

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

in Italy. The FIR has one seat on the 28-member World Rugby Council, the governing body of

World Rugby World Rugby is the world governing body for the sport of rugby union. World Rugby organises the Rugby World Cup every four years, the sport's most recognised and most profitable competition. It also organises a number of other international rug ...

. (All other members of the Six Nations have two seats on the Council.) There are two fully professional Italian clubs that play in the

United Rugby Championship The United Rugby Championship (URC) is an annual rugby union competition involving professional teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales. The current name was adopted in 2021 when the league expanded to include four South Afr ...

, in the European Rugby Champions Cup and in the

European Rugby Challenge Cup The EPCR Challenge Cup is an annual rugby union competition organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the second-tier competition for clubs based in European leagues behind the European Rugby Champions Cup. From its inception ...

— Benetton and

Zebre Zebre Parma (, meaning "Zebras") are an Italian professional rugby union team competing in the United Rugby Championship and EPCR competitions from the 2012–13 season. They are based in Parma (Emilia-Romagna), Italy. They are operated by the ...

. There are twelve semi-professional Italian clubs that play in the

Top12 The Top10, known as the Peroni Top10 for sponsorship reasons, and formerly Top 12, is Italy's top level professional men's rugby union competition. The Top 10 is run by Federazione Italiana Rugby (FIR) and is contested by 10 teams as of the 2019� ...

, four of which qualify to play in the

European Rugby Challenge Cup Qualifying Competition The European Rugby Continental Shield (formerly the European Rugby Challenge Cup Qualifying Competition) was a rugby union competition, organised by European Professional Club Rugby, Rugby Europe and the Federazione Italiana Rugby, for entry int ...

to qualify to the

History

On 25 July 1911 a ''Propaganda Committee'' was formed to promote the sport of rugby union in Italy. In 1928 this body became the Federazione Italiana Rugby (FIR). In 1934 the FIR was a founder member of the ''Fédération Internationale de Rugby Amateur'', now known as

Rugby Europe Rugby Europe is the administrative body for rugby union in Europe. It was formed in 1999 to promote, develop, organise, and administer the game of rugby in Europe under the authority of World Rugby (the sport's global governing body). However, it ...

. The FIR joined the International Rugby Football Board, later known as the International Rugby Board and now as World Rugby, in 1987 when Italy took part in the inaugural World Cup. The

Italy national rugby union team The Italy national rugby union team (Italian: ''Squadra nazionale italiana di rugby'') represents Italy in men's international rugby union. The team is known as ''gli Azzurri'' (the light-blues). Savoy blue is the common colour of the national ...

has played in the Six Nations Championship since 2000. Italy bid to host the 2015 Rugby World Cup came close to winning but lost to England by just three votes.ESPN Scrum, Italian rugby chief wades into euro row, Sep. 20, 2012, http://www.espnscrum.com/heineken-cup-2012-13/rugby/story/170055.html

Leadership

* Alfredo Gavazzi (2012–present) - founder of Rugby Calvisano * Giancarlo Dondi (1996-2012) - Gained Italy's entry into the Six Nations Championship in 2000 * Maurizio Mondelli (1984-1996)

National teams

The FIR is responsible for fielding several men's national teams: *

- plays in the Six Nations and in the

Rugby World Cup The Rugby World Cup is a men's rugby union tournament contested every four years between the top international teams. The tournament is administered by World Rugby, the sport's international governing body. The winners are awarded the Webb E ...

* Emerging Italy - plays in the World Rugby Nations Cup or in the World Rugby Tbilisi Cup *

Italy national rugby sevens team The Italy national rugby sevens team has occasionally competed in the IRB Sevens World Series since the series' was introduced in 1999, although they do not participate in every leg. Their first (and currently only) ever points in the World Seri ...

- plays in the

Sevens Grand Prix Series The Rugby Europe Sevens are a series of rugby sevens tournaments held by Rugby Europe. It was formerly known as the FIRA-AER Sevens until 2013, and the Sevens Grand Prix Series until 2021. Only one annual tournament existed prior to 2011, when ...

, has participated in the

Rugby World Cup Sevens Rugby World Cup Sevens (RWCS) is the quadrennial world championship of rugby sevens, a variant of rugby union. Organised by World Rugby, it currently consists of men's and women's tournaments, and is the highest level of competition in the sport ...

Italy national under-20 rugby union team Italy's national under-20 rugby union team has competed in both the IRB Junior World Championship and IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy. They were one of four teams relegated in 2009 to the Junior World Trophy after finishing at the bottom of the t ...

- plays in the Junior World Championship or in the

World Rugby Under 20 Trophy The World Rugby Under 20 Trophy (known as the IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy until 2014) is an international rugby union competition. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, World Rugby, and is contested by 8 men's junior national tea ...

and in the Six Nations Under 20s The FIR is also responsible for fielding several women's national teams: * Italy national women's rugby union team - plays in the Women's Six Nations and in the

Women's Rugby World Cup The Rugby World Cup is the women's rugby union world championship which is organised by World Rugby. The first Rugby World Cup for women was held in 1991, but it was not until the 1998 tournament that the tournament received official backing ...

* Italy women's national rugby sevens team- has participated in the

References

External links

Official website
Rugby union in Italy Rugby Rugby union governing bodies in Europe World Rugby members Sports organizations established in 1928 {{Rugbyunion-stub

History

Leadership

National teams

See also

References

External links