Competitive sports in Rome runs the gamut from soccer to tennis to basketball, but there is undoubtedly no rivalry as contentious in Rome sports as the one between supporters of the Associazione Sportiva Roma and the Società Sportiva Lazio football clubs. Historically, the urban city kids support the “lupi” – as A.S. Roma players are commonly known – while suburban residents lean towards the “lazial.” Both soccer teams play at the Olympic Stadium, which is a sight to see when the Roma fans chant loudly and generally act as stereotypically Roman as possible.

Rugby is also a local favorite for sports enthusiasts – members of the Società Sportiva Dilettantistica Rugby Roma Olimpic have been bleeding out on the rugby field since the 1930s – while the Italian Open Tennis Tournament (Rome Open) draws an international crowd every year to the Foro Italico tennis park on the banks of the River Tevere.

Golf courses in Rome are available all year thanks to the city’s inclement weather, but for those who think a day at the greens sounds boring, the entire city comes alive with concerts, shows, and stalls along the route of the famous Rome Marathon every March.