National Championship of Excellence

Format

Currently the Italian Senior leagues are structured in the following way:-

Italian Elite Championship (Campionato Nazionale Eccellenza) made up of 10 teams; the first four go into the playoff stage and the winner is Italian Champion; the last classified is relegated in Serie A division 1.
Serie A: apparently Serie A is a unique-level tier, but is actually a two-ranks Division:
- Serie A pool 1: 12 teams that play each other home and away. The first three go into a playoff stage with the first one of pool 2 to win a place for the next Super 10; the last two go into a playout stage with the 9th and 10th of the pool 2; the loser go to Serie B, the winner are reassigned to pool 1, the midst two to pool 2.
- Serie A pool 2: same number of teams and structure as pool 1. The winner is promoted at least to pool 1, plus goes into the abovementioned playoff stage and has the possibility to be promoted in Super 10; the 12th goes straight in Serie B
Serie B: divided in 4 same-rank pools of 12 teams each who play each other home and away; a playoff stage determines the 2 teams that are promoted to Serie A division 2
Serie C: is the very 5th tier of Italian rugby union; is divided into regional divisions

The junior league is structured in the following way: