Two Italian teams to join Celtic League next season

Italian teams Treviso and Aironi Rugby will join the Celtic League next season after an agreement was finally reached this week.

The idea to allow Italian sides to play in the Irish, Scottish and Welsh domestic league was conceived years ago but months of controversy had beset the proposal.

"The three Celtic Unions have unanimously agreed to the introduction of two new Italian super sides and the four-year agreement will see Treviso and Aironi Rugby competing against defending champions Munster and the other nine Celtic teams," a Celtic league statement said.

The Italian rugby federation hopes the move will improve the standard of the country's top players and make the national side more competitive. Italy won their first Six Nations match for two years when they beat Scotland 16-12 last month.

Financial worries, the collapse of potential Rome and Calvisano franchises, and reservations about the plan from some Celtic League officials, who feared their teams would be put at a disadvantage, had threatened to ruin the idea.

Treviso are Italy's biggest club while Aironi are an amalgamation of existing teams in the north.

Top players in Italy are now expected to join the two sides with the Italian federation hoping the remaining domestic teams do not suffer serious damage.