Rugby star Antoine Dupont confirmed to compete at Paris 2024 Olympics
A month after France’s shock exit at the Rugby World Cup, French captain Dupont confirms he will miss the Six Nations in order to try and win Olympic gold. Former Australia captain Michael Hooper is also hoping to make the team for the Paris Olympics. Find out which other players have made the switch.
Rugby Sevens
Rugby sevens could provide redemption for 15-a-side stars Antoine Dupont and Michael Hooper.
Fédération Française de Rugby (FFR) Vice President Jean-Marc Lhermet outlined his intention at a presentation today (20 November) for the French skipper to start training with the French sevens team in January to 'potentially play in the Perth tournament' of the World Rugby SVNS series from 26-28 January 2024.
Men’s 2021 World Rugby Player of the Year Dupont will therefore miss Les Bleu’s Six Nations campaign in February-March 2024.
"Competing for an Olympic medal is really motivating," Dupont told Canal+. "We'll have to adjust things. I won't be able to play all the matches every weekend until the end of the season. Sacrifices will have to be made to be able to spend time with the team."
There were high hopes that the Stade Toulousain skipper, who confirmed his intention be be part of the France rugby sevens team for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 last week, would be able to captain his nation to a first Rugby World Cup win in 2023.
However, the hosts were agonisingly eliminated in the quarter-finals, going down 29-28 to eventual winners South Africa.
But should the scrum-half win Olympic gold with France in the same Paris stadium that they lost in last month, it would be a seismic moment akin to Neymar helping Brazil’s football team win Olympic gold at Rio 2016, having been part of the team that lost the 2014 FIFA World Cup semi-final 7-1 to Germany at home.
French captain Antoine Dupont during the Rugby World Cup 2023, in which his team were eliminated in the quarter-finals in Paris by South Africa.
Michael Hooper confirms intention to make Australia's sevens team
Dupont isn’t the only high-profile rugby star that may make the switch over to sevens for the Olympics.
It is reported that his national teammates Damien Penaud, Arthur Vincent and Sekou Macalou could follow suit.
Elsewhere, former Australia captain Michael Hooper announced last week that he had switched to sevens in a bid to make his nation’s Olympic team in Paris.
Like Dupont, Hooper will be attempting to finish the final years of his highly-regarded rugby career on a high, after being surprisingly excluded for the Wallabies’ Rugby World Cup squad.
While Australia’s women’s rugby sevens team sealed gold when the sport made its Olympic debut at Rio 2016, the men’s side have yet to win a medal.
Other players to have made the switch
Dupont will join an esteemed list of rugby 15s stars that have represented their nation’s sevens team at the Olympics.
Three players from the South African team that caused France so much heartache in October’s World Cup quarter-final previously played sevens in Cheslin Kolbe, Kurt-Lee Arendse, and **Kwagga Smith. **
Two-time Olympic men’s gold medallists Fiji have called upon the likes of 15-a-side giants Josua Tuisova and Semi Radradra to name but two.
Elsewhere, Samu Kerevi lined up for Australia in both codes, while Sonny Bill Williams and Rieko Ioane used to play for the New Zealand sevens team.
Men’s 2023 World Rugby Player of the Year Ardie Savea also turned out for the New Zealand sevens team in eight tournaments while Quade Cooper played for Australia, but neither made it to the Olympics.