Sergio Parisse

Sergio Parisse is the finest Italian rugby player of all time and is considered to be one of the best number eights to ever play the game. He’s Italy’s most-capped player and he holds the distinction of playing at five Rugby World Cups. He currently represents Toulon and was inducted into the RugbyPass Hall of Fame in 2021.

Sergio Parisse began playing rugby in Argentina, where he was born. But, in 2003, he moved to Italy to pursue a career in the game. In doing so, he signed for Benetton Treviso. However, he only stayed with the side until 2005, because he was lured to French giants Stade Français.

Since, Sergio Parisse has stayed with Stade Français for the majority of his domestic career. Between 2005 and 2019, he made 265 appearances for the side and won the Top 14 title twice and the European Rugby Challenge Cup once.

Sadly, Sergio Parisse left Stade Français in 2019 due to disagreements with the coaching team. Although it was rumoured he would return to Treviso to finish his career, he instead signed for Toulon, where he has remained ever since.

Although he was eligible to play international rugby for Argentina, Sergio Parisse instead chose to represent Italy. Between 2002 and 2019, he played in 142 test matches for his country and claimed a number of records. To date, he remains Italy’s most-capped player and he was the first Italian player to be nominated for the IRB International Player of the Year award. On top of this, he also holds the joint record of playing in five Rugby World Cups. Although he has not officially retired from international rugby, he last represented Italy in 2019.

An undoubted giant of the game, Sergio Parisse still has several seasons of top class rugby ahead of him. We can’t wait to see what else he can achieve with Toulon and see whether he can play in one final game for Italy in front of his adoring home fans.