Sergio Parisse’s Emotional Transition from Player to Coach
Italian rugby legend Sergio Parisse has always struggled with the idea of ending his playing career, as he confessed in an interview on the BastaShow, exclusively aired on RugbyPass TV. Parisse, who was capped 142 times for Italy between 2002 and 2019, admits that his passion for the sport was almost an “obsession.”
“I’ve been playing and breathing rugby since I was a kid. When you’re used to it for so many years, you’re afraid to stop,” Parisse revealed.
The former number eight’s international career came to an abrupt end in 2019 when Typhoon Hagibis forced the cancellation of the final two pool matches at the Rugby World Cup in Japan, depriving him of a farewell match against New Zealand.
After a successful club career spanning 21 years and 377 games for Benetton Treviso, Stade Français, and RC Toulon, Parisse announced his retirement on May 19, 2023, following Toulon’s Challenge Cup victory, alongside his former teammate Mathieu Bastareaud.
The transition from player to coach has not been without its challenges for Parisse. “Not necessarily in terms of training. In fact, I had issues organizing my life,” he admitted. “For 20, 22 years, your schedules, the way you organize your training, your matches, your care, everything is done, everything is planned, and you follow it.”
One of the biggest difficulties Parisse has faced is trying to get his message across to players who may not be as receptive. “Sometimes it’s very frustrating. But that’s the beauty of the job,” he said. “When you coach, you coach a lot of players, not just one. I have a guy like Esteban Abadie and when you talk to him about the touchline, we see the same things. On the other hand, there’s another player – I won’t mention any names – that’s where the coach has to be good, and that’s what I try to be, to adapt your way of communicating and giving information.”
Controlling his emotions on match day has also been a challenge for the former player. “I remember my first game as a coach,” Parisse recalled. “The adrenaline was pumping. I was stressed, I was shaking.” However, he has learned to strike a balance between conveying emotions and being clear-headed when passing on messages to his players.
Currently, Parisse’s coaching career is off to a promising start, with his team sitting in fourth place in the Top 14 with two games remaining before the finals. The transition from player to coach has been a journey, but Parisse is content in his new role within the rugby union community.
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