The United Rugby Championship (URC) is an annual rugby union competition involving professional teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales. For sponsorship reasons the league is known as the Vodacom United Rugby Championship in South Africa, and the BKT United Rugby Championship in the competition's other territories, the split branding mirroring the format previously adopted in Super Rugby. The Championship represents the highest level of domestic club or franchise rugby in each of its constituent countries. The Championship is one of the three major professional leagues in Europe, the most successful teams from which go forward to compete in the highest-level continental club competitions, the European Rugby Champions Cup and Challenge Cup. Since 2022–23, despite the name, South African teams have been eligible to qualify for European competitions.
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.
Benetton Rugby, also known as Benetton Treviso, is an Italian professional rugby union team based in Treviso, Veneto competing in the United Rugby Championship, the European Rugby Challenge Cup and European Champions Cup. Treviso rugby team was founded in 1932 and has won 15 Italian national championships. The team has been owned by the Benetton clothing company since 1979. Treviso have competed in the United Rugby Championship since 2010, and have previously competed in the Italian domestic championship.
Rugby Viadana 1970 is an Italian rugby union club based in Viadana. The club was established in 1970, and has since won the Italian championship in 2002, and the Coppa Italia three times. They also compete in European rugby competitions and were runners-up in the European Shield in 2004. Viadana plays in yellow and black. The club did not compete professionally between 2010 and 2012 as they focused their efforts on Aironi. Aironi was based at Viadana's home ground and represented a number of regional teams in the multi-national Celtic League. The FIR withdrew Aironi's licence to play at the end of the 2012, so Viadana reformed as a professional team will play in Italy's top division, the National championship of Excellence, from the 2012–13 season and currently in the Top12.
Crociati Parma Rugby F.C. are an Italian rugby union club. They are based in Parma in Emilia-Romagna. They were founded in 2010 by the merger of Rugby Parma F.C. and F.C. Rugby Noceto and disbanded in 2014.
Mapei Stadium – Città del Tricolore is a multi-purpose stadium in Reggio Emilia, Italy. It is currently the home ground of U.S. Sassuolo of Serie A and A.C. Reggiana of Serie B.
Marco Bortolami is a rugby union coach and retired Italian international player, whose career includes experience playing in the national top-level Italian, French, and English championships, before joining the then recently-born Pro14. Praised for his leadership skills, he captained all the teams he played for at professional level. At international level, he also captained the Italian side since 2002 till the 2007 Rugby World Cup, before being replaced in the permanent role by Sergio Parisse. He currently serves as head coach for Benetton Rugby in the United Rugby Championship.
Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi was a sports stadium in the city of Parma in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy.
Sergio Savaro Giovanni Lanfranchi was an Italian rugby union player and coach, active in France for most of his career as flanker, number 8 and lock. He won two national championship titles, one in Italy for Parma and one in France for FC Grenoble and, in 2016, the second longest international career for Italy, after Mauro Bergamasco.
Alberto De Marchi is a retired Italian rugby union player. His preferred position is Prop. He previously played for Benetton Treviso in the Pro12 competition. Before that he played for Aironi. He also represented Italy U21s with which he played the Under 21 Rugby World Championship and Italy A.
Aironi Rugby was an Italian professional rugby union team competing in the Pro12 and the Heineken Cup, representing the Italian regions of Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna. It lost its status as a regional side at the end of the 2011–12 season, as the Italian Rugby Federation revoked its licence for financial reasons. They were replaced by Zebre from the 2012–13 season.
Luca Enrico Roberto Morisi is an Italian professional rugby union player who primarily plays centre for Zebre Parma of the United Rugby Championship.
Zebre Parma 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 Italian Rugby Federation (FIR) and replaced Aironi in the Pro12.
Joshua Furno is an Italian rugby union player who plays Lock for US Dax in Pro D2. He also represents Italy as a member of the Italian national team.
Matthew Healy is an Irish former professional rugby union player. His primary position was on the wing and he was also used as injury cover at fullback, while earlier in his career he played at scrum-half. Healy played his entire career for Irish provincial team Connacht Rugby in the Pro14 and represented Ireland at test level once. He is Connacht's all-time leading try scorer.
The 2014–15 Pro12 was the 14th season of the professional rugby union competition originally known as the Celtic League, and the fifth with its current four-country format.
Johan Gert Meyer is a retired South African born rugby union player, who played with Italian side Zebre in the Pro14 and European Rugby Challenge Cup, and for the Italian national team after qualifying through residency. His regular position was flanker or number eight.
Pietro Ceccarelli is an Italian professional rugby union player who primarily plays prop for Perpignan of the Top 14. He has also represented Italy at international level, having made his test debut against Ireland during the 2016 Six Nations Championship. Ceccarelli has previously played for clubs such as Lazio, La Rochelle, Mâcon, Zebre Parma, Oyonnax, and Edinburgh in the past.
Mata Maxime Esuite Mbanda is an Italian international rugby union player. His usual position is as a flanker, and he currently plays for Colorno. Known for his ball carrying and athleticism.
Sebastián Cancelliere is an Argentina international rugby union player.
