Sergio Francesco Parisse is a former Italian rugby union player. He is currently the lineout coach for French club Toulon. He played for the Italy national team from 2002 until the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Parisse is Italy's most-capped player, and currently the fourth most-capped player worldwide. He was the first Italian rugby union player to be nominated for the IRB International Player of the Year, in 2008 and again in 2013. Parisse is widely considered one of the greatest number eights of the modern era, and the greatest Italian rugby player of all time. He also holds the joint record of playing in five Rugby World Cups.
Parisse in 2014
Sergio Parisse jumps to catch an up and under during a warm up session in Toulouse
Italy national rugby union team
The Italy national rugby union team represents the Italian Rugby Federation in men's international rugby union. The team is known as gli Azzurri. Savoy blue is the common colour of the national teams representing Italy, as it is the traditional colour of the royal House of Savoy which reigned over the Kingdom of Italy from 1860 to 1946.
Lineup of the Italy national rugby union team vs France, 1975
The current badge on the Italy jersey
Italy vs the New Zealand All Blacks at the San Siro with a record 80,000 sellout crowd, November 2009
Italy contesting a lineout with Scotland during the 2012 Six Nations