Sergio Parisse, the former captain and most-attended player in the history of the Italian rugby union, has announced his retirement. He said in an interview with French website Rugbyrama: “I will finish next June. I know that after 20 years I will miss rugby and I am trying to prepare.” Parisse turned 39 last September and currently plays in France in Toulon. He is considered one of the best “number eight” ever. Parisse began playing rugby in Argentina, where he was born and where his parents, both Italian, had moved for work. He then trained in Argentina but always played for Italy, making his debut with the senior national team at the age of eighteen. In 2002 he was hired by Benetton Treviso, where he remained until 2005 winning two Italian championships and one Italian Cup. He played his best seasons between 2006 and 2017, a period in which he twice won the French championship with the Stade Français and a European Cup. In 2008 and 2013 he was also among the candidates for the award as the best rugby player in the world.
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