Former Italy captain Sergio Parisse, who turns 39 in September, has delayed his much-publicised retirement plans by signing a new one-year deal with Toulon.

Parisse’s contract with the Top 14 outfit was due to end in June and the No 8 said last September he was planning to retire.

“If I tell my wife I’m doing another season, she’ll kill me!” he said at the time.

This season, he played in 13 of Toulon’s games in the Top 14 campaign which ended last week with a defeat at the hands of Racing 92 that saw the French giants miss out on a place in the end-of-season playoffs.

He also played the full 80 minutes in the European Challenge Cup final which Toulon lost against Lyon.

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“We’re happy with Sergio’s commitment,” Toulon’s general manager Franck Azema and new director of rugby Pierre Mignoni said in a statement.

“He’s an important player for the squad, who has a lot of experience,” they added.

This new contract, which takes him to the end of the 2023 season, may give him the chance of an international farewell at next year’s World Cup in France.

The former Stade Francais loose forward last featured for the Azzurri at the 2019 World Cup and the 142-time international still hopes for a Test swansong.

© Agence France-Presse

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