Sébastien Chabal will no longer be alone. The only rugby player present at the Grévin Museum will be joined by Frédéric Michalak and Antoine Dupont. The former opening half of the Blues, able to also evolve in the scrum, and the current captain of the XV of France will make their appearance on May 25. They become the 4th and 5th rugby players honored by the Museum. The first two are no longer visible as their statues have since been removed. They were Adolphe Jauréguy, a rugby star in the 1920s, and Lucien Mias, a former glory of the 1960s.
Michalak and Dupont’s appearances come as no surprise months away from the World Cup in France which runs from September 8 to October 28. It confirms to what extent rugby is a sport that is a hit, like the audiences of France TV during the Six Nations Tournament, which had not been so good for fifteen years.
A true star of the current XV of France, Antoine Dupont offers himself a new personal consecration. The Stade Toulousain player had already been voted the best player in the world in 2021. Aged 26, the captain of the Blues already has 47 caps and will be France’s major asset at the World Cup after leading them to the Grand Slam in 2022 and an unprecedented series of fourteen rank victories between 2021 and 2023.
For Frédéric Michalak, recognition comes at 40. Best director in the blue jersey with 436 points scored, the future assistant coach of Racing 92 remains a rugby legend. Michalak and Dupont participated in creative sessions that included photos, 3D video captures, face and body measurements, and hand casts. The statue of Michalak was made by the sculptor Clause Velte while that of Dupont by Stéphane Barret.
The two rugby players will be unveiled in match attire in a locker room setting. They will take place next to Sébastien Chabal, but also other great sportsmen such as footballers Kylian Mbappé and Zinédine Zidane.
