The French Rugby Federation announced to AFP on Wednesday that Antoine Dupont, playing master of the French rugby union team, will join the ranks of the rugby sevens team in 2024 with the aim of be there in Paris for the Olympic Games.
Published on: 11/15/2023 – 5:47 p.m. Modified on: 11/16/2023 – 10:32 a.m.
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From the XV to the VII, there is only one step for the captain and scrum half of the Blues Antoine Dupont, a leading figure in French rugby. From January, the best rugby player in the world 2022 will join the group preparing for the rugby event of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The integration of Dupont, who turned 27 yesterday, will be made official on November 20, on the sidelines of a D-250 event organized by the French Rugby Federation (FFR) at the headquarters of France Télévisions, broadcaster of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games of Paris-2024, specified the FFR to AFP, confirming information from L’Équipe.
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Fabien Galthié’s XV of France will therefore have to do without its playing master for the 2024 Six Nations Tournament, which begins on February 2 in Marseille, ahead of Ireland.
His usual understudy Maxime Lucu (Bordeaux-Bègles), who replaced him during the 2023 World Cup when he was recovering from his maxillo-zygomatic fracture suffered against Namibia, should play a role at number 9, just like Baptiste Couilloud (Lyon). Unless Racingman Nolann Le Garrec or Clermontois Baptiste Jauneau do well.
“Digestion has started and it must be evacuated”
In the meantime, a few weeks after the elimination in the quarter-finals of the 2023 World Cup against South Africa (29-28), Dupont returned to the field with Toulouse, participating in the victory of the Rouge et Noir at the expense of Perpignan (43-34) in Top 14.
“We will always have it in the way. Digestion has started and we must evacuate it”, explained this weekend on Canal+ the head of French rugby, who has 52 selections with the Blues, about the disillusionment facing to the Springboks.
All stakeholders (club, player, federation, XV and VII selections) have agreed on this “transfer” likely to make the French rugby superstar’s dream of trying his luck at the Olympics come true. For Paris-2024, the opportunity is great to add a big name to the line-up of stars who will come to chase the medals from July 26 to August 11.
But for that, the person concerned will first have to convince the general manager of the French sevens rugby team, Christophe Reigt, and the coach Jérôme Daret. Because Dupont does not have the assurance of competing in the Olympics, where the rugby Sevens event appeared in 2016, Fiji having won the first two editions in Rio then in Tokyo in 2021.
Two test stages
Before thinking of hanging an Olympic medal around his neck, the Toulouse resident will participate in the world circuit, starting with the two stages of Vancouver (February 23-25) and Los Angeles (March 2-3), with the Blues, currently fourth of the world ranking.
The French and New Zealanders fight for a throw-in during the match between their countries at the Sevens Rugby (rugby sevens) tournament in Hong Kong on April 2, 2023. © Isaac Lawrence, AFP (archives)
He will also have to adapt to the Sevens game, where the spaces are larger and the races, in fact, more numerous and more intense. The format of the matches (14 minutes) as well as its repositioning will also require time to adjust for the best fifteen player in the world in 2021. Given the physical and tactical profile of “Toto”, this adaptation does not seem insurmountable.
Another parameter to take into account will be that of fatigue, since Dupont will travel back and forth between Stade Toulouse and France VII, as he has done for years with the XV of France.
As such, he should be available to his club for the final stages, if the current French champions Rouge et Noir participate in the Top 14 (final on June 28 in Marseille) as well as in the Champions Cup (final on May 25 in Marseille). London).
“What could be better than the club and new objectives to get back on track?” he asked again this weekend after his resumption with Toulouse. Probably nothing other than titles and a single Olympic adventure, to better treat the still-living ailments.
With AFP
