Top10 (rugby union)
Current season, competition or edition: 2023–24 Serie A Élite | |
Formerly | Divisione Nazionale Serie A Serie A1 Super 10 Eccellenza Top12 Serie A Élite |
---|---|
Sport | Rugby union |
Founded | 1929 |
First season | 1928–29 |
Owner(s) | Federazione Italiana Rugby |
No. of teams | 10 |
Country | Italy |
Most recent champion(s) | Rugby Rovigo Delta |
Most titles | Amatori Milano (18 titles) |
TV partner(s) | Federazione Italiana Rugby (Live Streams on Facebook and Youtube) |
Sponsor(s) | Peroni |
Relegation to | Serie A |
International cup(s) | European Rugby Challenge Cup European Rugby Continental Shield |
Related competitions | Coppa Italia |
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 2019–2020 season, following the Italian federation's decision to name Peroni as the official partner of the Top10 competition.
The leading teams qualify to play against teams from the other leading rugby union nations in Europe in the
History
Names of the Italian National Rugby Championship | |
Divisione Nazionale | 1928–29 until 1945–46 |
Serie A | 1945–46 until 1959–60; |
Serie A1 | 1986–87 until 2000–01 |
Super 10 | 2001–02 until 2009-10 |
Eccellenza | 1960–61 until 1964–65; |
Top12 | 2018–2019 |
Top10 | 2020–2023 |
Serie A Elite | 2023– |
The competition was originally named Divisione Nazionale since its origin in 1928 until the 1945–46 season where the name of the National Championship was changed to the Serie A. Upon 1959, the competition's name was changed was changed to the Eccellenza before becoming the Serie A once again 26 years after in 1985. However, shortly after the name change, in 1986 the Serie A became the Serie A1 with the second tier taking the name of the Serie A2.
Since the 1987–88 season, the championship has been played under a play-off phase format after a regular season with the title being assigned through a final (several cities to have hosted finals include Padua, Bologna and Rome). After a major restructuring in 2001, the national championship was named Super 10 leaving the Serie A1 and Serie A2 to become the second and third divisions of Italian rugby respectively. Upon the 2009–10 season, the Super 10 championship which was founded (in 2001) and operated by the L.I.R.E. (Lega Italiana Rugby d'Eccellenza) (Italian Elite Rugby Union League in Italian) had folded in 2009, the Federazione Italiana Rugby (FIR) had taken over organising the championship.
The name of championship was changed once again to the Eccellenza for the 2010–11 season. After 8 years of the Eccellenza, the competition was increased to 12 teams and was rebranded as the Top12.[1]
Upon the year 2010, the then known Celtic League (now the
The competition's name was changed from Top 12 to Top 10 in 2020 when teams I Medicei and San Donà withdrew their participation.[2]
From 2023-24 season, competition is going to a reduction of teams, from 10 to 9 (with the leak of Calvisano), and 8 from 2024-25 with also the come back of name in Serie A Elite.[3][4]
Current teams
The leading title holder is
Celtic League participation
Despite rising playing standards and more media attention on
On 18 July 2009 it was announced that the two Magners League teams would be the newly formed Aironi, based in Viadana, and "Praetorians Roma", from the capital. As of October 2009, there was a change and it was announced the two teams will be Aironi and Benetton Treviso. Praetorians Roma were nominated in the first round but failed to meet the criteria set down by the evaluators and Benetton Treviso took their place. These new sides also played in the Heinken Cup and Italy retained its four places in the Challenge Cup, which were taken by top Super 10 teams, become Eccellenza, orphan of Benetton Treviso and Viadana.
After the
Beginning in the 2014–15 season, the Heineken Cup and European Challenge Cup will be replaced by a new three-tiered European competition structure: the Heineken Cup will be replaced by the European Rugby Champions Cup, the European Challenge Cup will be replaced by the European Rugby Challenge Cup, and a new third-tier Qualifying Competition will be added. The highest-placed Italian Pro12 side automatically qualifies for the Champions Cup, the other Pro12 side will compete in the new Challenge Cup unless it qualifies for the Champions Cup by being one of the three highest-placed teams apart from the top team of each Pro12 country (Italy, Ireland, Scotland, Wales). Select sides from the Excellence will play in the Qualifying Competition, to be held before the main season. Along with club sides from second-tier European rugby nations, the Eccellenza sides will compete for two places in the new European Rugby Challenge Cup with 4 teams. From the 2016–17 season the third-tier is named European Rugby Continental Shield.
Format
Currently the Italian senior leagues are structured in the following way:
- Top12 made up of 12 teams; the first four go into the playoff stage and the winner is the "Champion of Italy"; the last two classified are relegated in Serie A.
- Serie A: is the second level of Italian rugby union, divided in 3 same-rank territorial pools of 10 teams each, who play each other home and away. There are 4 relegations in Serie B, scheduled for the 3 teams that end the season in 10th place in their own pool and one of the three teams ranked 9th after a mini-playout. With the same scheme are organized the 4 promotions to Top12: the three teams that win their own pool automatically qualify for the finals, reached by one of the second teams after a mini-round of playoff. The finals, played home and away, are used to determine the two teams promoted to Top12.
- Serie B: divided in 4 same-rank territorial pools of 12 teams each, who play each other home and away. A playoff stage determines the 4 teams promoted to Serie A and a playout stage the 8 teams relegated in Serie C.
- Serie C: is the very 4th tier of Italian rugby union, divided into regional divisions. A playoffs stage determines the 8 teams that are promoted to Serie B.
Past winners
- 1929 Ambrosiana
- 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
- 1948 Rugby Roma Olimpic
- 1949 Rugby Roma Olimpic
- 1950 Parma
- 1951 Rovigo
- 1952 Rovigo
- 1953 Rovigo
- 1954 Rovigo
- 1955 Parma
- 1956 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
- 1971 Petrarca
- 1972 Petrarca
- 1973 Petrarca
- 1974 Petrarca
- 1975 Brescia
- 1976 Rovigo
- 1977 Petrarca
- 1978 Treviso
- 1979 Rovigo
- 1980 Petrarca
- 1981 L'Aquila
- 1982 L'Aquila
- 1983 Benetton Treviso
- 1984 Petrarca
- 1985 Petrarca
- 1986 Petrarca
- 1987 Petrarca
- 1988 Rovigo
- 1989 Benetton Treviso
- 1990 Rovigo
- 1991 Amatori Milano
- 1992 Benetton Treviso
- 1993 Amatori Milano
- 1994 L'Aquila
- 1995 Amatori Milano
- 1996 Amatori Milano
- 1997 Benetton Treviso
- 1998 Benetton Treviso
- 1999 Benetton Treviso
- 2000 Rugby Roma Olimpic
- 2001 Benetton Treviso
- 2002 Viadana
- 2003 Benetton Treviso
- 2004 Benetton Treviso
- 2005 Calvisano
- 2006 Benetton Treviso
- 2007 Benetton Treviso
- 2008 Calvisano
- 2009 Benetton Treviso
- 2010 Benetton Treviso
- 2011 Petrarca
- 2012 Calvisano
- 2013 Mogliano
- 2014 Calvisano
- 2015 Calvisano
- 2016 Rovigo Delta
- 2017 Calvisano
- 2018 Petrarca
- 2019 Calvisano
- 2020 Not assigned
- 2021 Rovigo Delta
- Petrarca
- 2023 Rovigo
- 2024
Finals
Performance by club
Club Winners Winning Years Amatori Milano 18 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1936, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1946, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996 Benetton Treviso 15 1956, 1978, 1983, 1989, 1992, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010 Petrarca 14 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 2011, 2018, 2022 Rovigo 14 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1976, 1979, 1988, 1990, 2016, 2021, 2023 Calvisano 7 2005, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019 Rugby Roma Olimpic 5 1935, 1937, 1948, 1949, 2000 L'Aquila 5 1967, 1969, 1981, 1982, 1994 Fiamme Oro 5 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1968 Parma3 1950, 1955, 1957 Partenope 2 1965, 1966 Mogliano 1 2013 Viadana 1 2002 Brescia 1 1975 Ginnastica Torino 1 1947
See also
- Rugby union in Italy
- Italy national rugby union team
- United Rugby Championship
- European Rugby Champions Cup
- European Rugby Challenge Cup
- European Shield
- European Rugby Continental Shield
- Coppa Italia
References
- ^ "Consiglio FIR: Top12, Il Massimo Campionato Cambia Nome" (Press release) (in Italian). Federazione Italiana Rugby. 21 July 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
- ^ "Terremoto Rugby: non sarà Top 12, ma Top 10, rinunciano San Donà e I Medicei" [Rugby earthquake: no longer Top 12 but Top 10, San Donà and I Medicei abandon] (in Italian). Ogliopo News. 25 August 2020. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
- ^ "Comunicato Stampa FIR - Formula Massimo Campionato Nazional Maschile 23/24" (in Italian). F.I.R. 2 May 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
- ^ "SERIE A ELITE: DEFINITA LA NUOVA DENOMINAZIONE DEI CAMPIONATI ITALIANI D'ALTO LIVELLO" (in Italian). F.I.R. 14 June 2023. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
- ^ Top-level Italian exports threaten to damage domestic product
- ^ Pickering: We have to improve league
- ^ "Celtic door opens up for Italy". Scrum.com. 26 March 2009. Retrieved 26 March 2009.