Rugby union in Italy

Rugby union in Italy
The badge on the national uniform
Country	Italy
Governing body	Italian Rugby Federation
National team(s)	Italy
Nickname(s)	Azzurri
First played	early 1900s
Registered players	153,176 (total)[1]
Clubs	1,024
National competitions
Rugby World Cup Six Nations Championship Rugby World Cup Sevens World Rugby Sevens Series
Club competitions
European Rugby Champions Cup European Rugby Challenge Cup United Rugby Championship Top12 Coppa Italia Campionati Nazionali

Rugby union in Italy is governed by the Italian Rugby Federation. Rugby was introduced into Italy in the early 1900s. It is also known as pallovale or palla ovale ("oval ball") within Italy.^[2] Two Italian professional teams (Treviso and Zebre) compete in United Rugby Championship, a league that also includes sides from Ireland, Scotland, South Africa and Wales. One of the teams is guaranteed a place in the European Rugby Champions Cup; the other normally plays in the European Rugby Challenge Cup. The Top12 is the main national club competition. Four Italian clubs from the national championship compete in a qualifying tournament that awards two places in the Challenge Cup. Italy competes in the Six Nations Championship and Rugby World Cup, and is classified as a tier one nation by World Rugby (formerly the International Rugby Board).