Rugby: Antoine Dupont at the Olympics, a decision which should be made official next week

He has said it again and again: it is a goal in his career as a high-level athlete. Antoine Dupont should participate in the Paris Olympic Games in 2024, with the French rugby sevens team. The decision should be official at the start of the week, says the sports daily L'Équipe. The Blues scrum half, Stade Toulousain and the French Rugby Federation have agreed for this temporary “transfer” to take place. Last week, Fabien Galthié confided: “We spoke with (Antoine) Dupont last week, after his vacation. He didn't tell me about his decision for the Olympics. He will make his decision in due time.”

The number 9 elected best player in the world in 2021 will have to prepare for the specificities of rugby 7s. To do this, he should participate, again according to L'Équipe, in two stages of the world circuit (World Rugby Seven Series) on the occasion of the stages in Vancouver (Canada) on the weekend of February 23, then in Los Angeles on the weekend of March 3. The Toulouse player will therefore miss the next Six Nations Tournament with the Blues, which will begin on February 2 with an explosive France-Ireland at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille. His presence with Toulouse should also be strongly impacted this season.

With his absence from the French team, the scrum half position should go to his usual understudy, the Bordelais Maxime Lucu, or to number 3 in the hierarchy, the Lyonnais Baptiste Couilloud. Unless Fabien Galthié revives Toulonnais Baptiste Serin or gives young Racingman Nollan Le Garrec a chance.