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Sergio Parisse to feature in next season's Top 14 at the age of 39

By Kim Ekin
(Photo by Romaon Perrocheau/AFP via Getty Images)

Veteran No8 Sergio Parisse is set to feature in the Top 14 at the age of 39 after agreeing to a one-year contract extension with Toulon. The 38-year-old celebrates his next birthday in September and he will do so with his boots still very much on as a new deal will see him spend a fourth season with his current club.

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The 142-cap Italian international started his career with two seasons at Benetton before switching to the French league in 2005 and going on to play 14 seasons at Stade Francais. His latest campaign with Toulon ended with an 80-minute appearance in their recent Challenge Cup final loss to Lyon, his 16th cup and league match in the 2021/22 season.

A club statement read: “The Rugby Club Toulonnais is pleased to announce the extension of the contract of back row Sergio Parisse for an additional year. Sergio Parisse, who arrived from Stade Francais-Paris in 2019 where he has spent almost all of his club career, has established himself as a part of the Toulon locker room.

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“Exemplary in terms of his lifestyle and endowed with a wealth of experience, the ex-captain of the Italy squad is a key element of the Rouge et Noir where he is one of the leaders. An emblematic face of Italian and world rugby, he has been capped 142 times and participated in the Rugby World Cup five times.

“A double Italian champion (Treviso), double French champion (Stade Francais) and a winner of the European Challenge, the career of the Italian player is exemplary.

“At almost 39 years old, Sergio dreams of contributing to winning a title for the Toulonnais and continuing to share his experience with the youngest. His professionalism now allows him to continue his adventure until 2023.”

Toulon boss Franck Azema added: “We are happy with Sergio’s re-engagement. He is an important player for the group, who has great experience which he likes to pass on. In addition to his status as a player and preparing for his coaching diploma, Sergio will work with the club’s young people, in particular the U18s, in order to strengthen their skills.”

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J
Jon 9 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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