Sergio Parisse
Encyclopedia
Sergio Parisse is an Italian Argentine
rugby union
rugby player. He was the first Italian rugby union player to be nominated for the IRB International player of the year. He has captained French team Stade Français and is current captain of the Italian national rugby union team.
in place of Marco Bortolami
.
A number 8 of great handling ability, Parisse's positional sense in the lineout and flair for getting across the gainline have marked him out as a special player in an often struggling Italy team.
Unlike several other Azzurri internationals of recently, Parisse's heritage is not a simple case of Argentina switching to Italy for economic reasons. His father, also Sergio, played for the L'Aquila
where he won the Italian club championship in 1967 before his job with the Alitalia airline took him to Argentina in 1970. Sergio junior was born in 1983 and played his early rugby for La Plata
. His family spoke Italian at home and every year Sergio would go on holiday to Italy.
Parisse moved to Italy and joined Treviso
where he played for four years before joining his Italian team mates Mauro Bergamasco
and Mirco Bergamasco
at French giants Stade Français in Paris in 2005. He is a keen skier but has done it less after Sylvain Marconnet
broke his leg doing the activity in 2007.
He was capped at the age of just 18 by then Italy coach John Kirwan, in a 64–10 defeat to New Zealand in Hamilton in June 2002. Parisse scored his first Test try against Canada in the 2003 World Cup.
Though Italy failed to make it beyond the pool stage at the 2007 World Cup
, Parisse played well, and continued his form into the 2008 Six Nations.
In September 2008 Parisse was nominated for IRB International Player of the Year
alongside Dan Carter, Ryan Jones
, Shane Williams
and Mike Blair
.
He missed most of the 2009/10 season with a serious knee injury that ruled him out of the 2010 Six Nations.
Alexandra Rosenfeld
, they met in 2007 after Rosenfeld was invited to watch a Stade Français game and was then invited to the player's table. They got married in Hérault
where Rosenfeld is from. Parisse has appeared on Dieux du Stade
on numerous occasions.
Italian Argentine
An Italian Argentine is a person born in Argentina of Italian ancestry. It is estimated up to 25 million Argentines have some degree of Italian descent...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
rugby player. He was the first Italian rugby union player to be nominated for the IRB International player of the year. He has captained French team Stade Français and is current captain of the Italian national rugby union team.
Career
Parisse won his 50th cap for Italy against England in the 2008 Six Nations, a remarkable achievement as he was just 24 at the time. Parisse is also the Italian captain, appointed in 2008 by Nick MallettNick Mallett
Nicholas Vivian Howard Mallett is a former South African rugby union player who was until recently the head coach of the Italian national team, previously replacing Pierre Berbizier on 3 October 2007...
in place of Marco Bortolami
Marco Bortolami
Marco Bortolami is an Italian international rugby union player, playing club rugby for Aironi in the Celtic League. In January 2008 he was replaced as captain of Italy's national team....
.
A number 8 of great handling ability, Parisse's positional sense in the lineout and flair for getting across the gainline have marked him out as a special player in an often struggling Italy team.
Unlike several other Azzurri internationals of recently, Parisse's heritage is not a simple case of Argentina switching to Italy for economic reasons. His father, also Sergio, played for the L'Aquila
L'Aquila Rugby
L'Aquila Rugby 1936 are an Italian rugby union club currently competing in Super 10.The club is based in L'Aquila which is the capital of Abruzzo.The official colours of the club are black and green, the colours of the city of L'Aquila.-History:...
where he won the Italian club championship in 1967 before his job with the Alitalia airline took him to Argentina in 1970. Sergio junior was born in 1983 and played his early rugby for La Plata
La Plata
La Plata is the capital city of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and of La Plata partido. According to the , the city proper has a population of 574,369 and its metropolitan area has 694,253 inhabitants....
. His family spoke Italian at home and every year Sergio would go on holiday to Italy.
Parisse moved to Italy and joined Treviso
Benetton Rugby Treviso
Benetton Rugby Treviso are an Italian professional rugby union club currently competing in the RaboDirect Pro12 and the Heineken Cup.They are based in Treviso in Veneto, and owned by the Benetton clothing company....
where he played for four years before joining his Italian team mates Mauro Bergamasco
Mauro Bergamasco
Mauro Bergamasco is an Italian rugby union footballer. He predominantly plays as an open-side flanker, although his versatility means has also played a number of international games on the wing, and started at scrum-half in an infamously error-prone performance...
and Mirco Bergamasco
Mirco Bergamasco
Mirco Bergamasco is an Italian rugby union footballer. He primarily plays centre, presently with Parisian club Racing Métro in the French Top 14, and internationally with Italy...
at French giants Stade Français in Paris in 2005. He is a keen skier but has done it less after Sylvain Marconnet
Sylvain Marconnet
Sylvain Marconnet is a French rugby union footballer, currently playing for Biarritz Olympique having signed from Stade Français in the Top 14 club competition in France. His usual position is prop...
broke his leg doing the activity in 2007.
He was capped at the age of just 18 by then Italy coach John Kirwan, in a 64–10 defeat to New Zealand in Hamilton in June 2002. Parisse scored his first Test try against Canada in the 2003 World Cup.
Though Italy failed to make it beyond the pool stage at the 2007 World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
, Parisse played well, and continued his form into the 2008 Six Nations.
In September 2008 Parisse was nominated for IRB International Player of the Year
IRB International Player of the Year
IRB Player of the Year is an accolade awarded annually by the International Rugby Board. It is awarded to the player who is adjudged to have been the best performer in rugby union internationals in the preceding season IRB Player of the Year is an accolade awarded annually by the International...
alongside Dan Carter, Ryan Jones
Ryan Jones
Ryan Paul Jones is a Welsh international rugby union player who plays at number eight for the Ospreys. He is able to cover blindside flanker and second row; he played second row in his younger days as he was kept out of his preferred number 8 role by Gareth Delve.-Early life:Jones played junior...
, Shane Williams
Shane Williams
Shane Mark Williams is a Welsh international rugby union player who plays as a wing for the Ospreys and who can also play scrum-half. Williams is the record try scorer for the Wales national team and he is third on the international list of leading Rugby union Test try scorers behind Daisuke Ohata...
and Mike Blair
Mike Blair
Michael Robert Leighton Blair is a Scottish rugby union footballer.He plays professional rugby union as scrum-half for Edinburgh Rugby and represents Scotland.He attended the Edinburgh Academy....
.
He missed most of the 2009/10 season with a serious knee injury that ruled him out of the 2010 Six Nations.
Other information
Parisse is married to Miss France 2006 and Miss Europe 2006Miss Europe 2006
Miss Europe 2006, was held in Kiev, Ukraine on October 27, 2006. Alexandra Rosenfeld of France, was crowned Miss Europe 2006 by outgoing titleholder Shermine Shahrivar of Germany.-Placements: - Order of announcements :Top 12*1. Finland...
Alexandra Rosenfeld
Alexandra Rosenfeld
Alexandra Rosenfeld was elected Miss France in 2006. Representing the region of Languedoc, she succeeded Cindy Fabre as the 52nd Miss France on 3 December 2005....
, they met in 2007 after Rosenfeld was invited to watch a Stade Français game and was then invited to the player's table. They got married in Hérault
Hérault
Hérault is a department in the south of France named after the Hérault river.-History:Hérault is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
where Rosenfeld is from. Parisse has appeared on Dieux du Stade
Dieux du Stade
Dieux du Stade is the title of two books and several calendars and DVDs first published in 2001, featuring nude and semi-nude photographs of members of Stade Français, a Paris-based domestic French rugby team...
on numerous occasions.