The 36-year-old former All Black flies out tonight to join the likes of Dan Carter (once his World Cup duties are over), Chris Masoe, Casey Laulala and Ben Tameifuna at the Paris club. They approached him about three weeks ago after injuries hit the squad and Filipo's versatility (he can play both lock and loose forward) and availability worked in his favour.
"It just landed in my lap," said Filipo, who previously played for Bayonne for three seasons from 2009. "I was all geared up to play ITM Cup with Waikato when this came out of the blue. At my age, it's a no brainer. I'm never going to get an opportunity like this again and it's a chance to financially secure my family.
"They have some big-name players and a few friends play there. They've got a good group of ex-pats so it's going to be a good environment."
It's not somewhere he ever thought he would be when he retired from rugby last year but a callup to play for the Chiefs this season because of an injury crisis at the franchise has opened doors.
Filipo, who played four tests for the All Blacks in 2007 and 2008 and won four Super Rugby titles with the Crusaders and Chiefs, has a new lease of life and was being talked about as a candidate to pick up a Super Rugby contract in 2016. That won't be possible because of his commitments to Racing Metro but he's not ruling out playing on after the European season.
"I thought I had hung the boots up and was moving forward with life post-rugby," he said. "But when these things came along, I thought, 'bugger it'. Guys like Brad Thorn and Victor Matfield played into their 40s. I'm 36 now so I'm sure I can squeeze out four more years.
"I would never say never [about Super Rugby] but coming back this year it was apparent it's very much a young man's game in New Zealand. The physical demands are very high. If you are managed well, you can get through a season, but I'm realistic about my chances of coming back in again. You can't have a crusty, old bugger like me taking up a spot."
By Michael Brown of the New Zealand Herald
