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 its m ...

in Italy. The FIR has one seat on the 28-member World Rugby Council, the governing body of World Rugby. (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 The European Rugby Champions Cup (known as the Heineken Champions Cup for sponsorship reasons) is an annual rugby union tournament organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the top-tier competition for clubs who compete in a pre ...

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, 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 into ...

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 has played in the

Six Nations Championship The Six Nations Championship (known as the Guinness Six Nations for sponsorship reasons) is an annual international men's rugby union competition between the teams of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. The current champions ar ...

since 2000. Italy bid to host the

2015 Rugby World Cup The 2015 Rugby World Cup was the eighth Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial rugby union world championship. The tournament was hosted by England from 18 September to 31 October. Of the 20 countries competing in the World Cup in 2011, there was onl ...

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: * Italy national rugby union team - 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 The Nations Cup is a rugby union competition that was first held in 2006 at Estádio Universitário in Lisbon with Argentina A, Italy A, Portugal and Russia taking part. The tournament is part of the International Rugby Board's US $50 million St ...

or in the

World Rugby Tbilisi Cup The World Rugby Tbilisi Cup is a rugby union competition that was first held in 2013 at Avchala Stadium in Tbilisi with the hosts Georgia joined by Uruguay, who regularly take part in the Nations Cup, and two newly founded teams: Emerging Ireland, ...

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 Serie ...

- plays in the Sevens Grand Prix Series, has participated in the Rugby World Cup Sevens *

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 tou ...

- 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 Italy women's national rugby union team are the national women's rugby union team that represents Italy at international level. It has been administered by the Italian Rugby Federation since 1991; previously, since its inception in 1985 up to 19 ...

- plays in the

Women's Six Nations The Women's Six Nations Championship, known as the TikTok Women's Six Nations for sponsorship purposes, is an international rugby union competition contested between six European women's national teams. It started in the 1995–96 season as the ...

and in the Women's Rugby World Cup *

Italy women's national rugby sevens team The Italy women's national rugby union sevens team is a Rugby sevens national women's side that represents Italy. They have only qualified once to the Rugby World Cup Sevens. At the 2021 Rugby Europe Women's Sevens Championship Series held in Li ...

- has participated in the Rugby World Cup Sevens

References

External links

Official website
Rugby union in Italy

Rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

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