While Antoine Dupont’s departure for Los Angeles has given rise to numerous rumors, the scrum half should only enjoy his last days of vacation there.
After having brilliantly succeeded in his transition to Rugby sevens, with the Olympic gold medal in Paris, Antoine Dupont does not intend to imitate the Welshman Louis Rees-Zammit and try the adventure in the NFL. Not even to perfect his physical preparation before returning to the pitches of the TOP 14. Thursday, Rugbynistère and Sud Radio nevertheless indicated that if the Toulouse scrum half had flown to Los Angeles, it was to train for a few days – or even three weeks – with the Chargers, the NFL franchise from the City of Angels.
According to the Parisian, this will not be the case. The day after his meeting with LeBron James in an evening organized by the cognac brand Hennessy at the Coliseum to promote their limited edition “by LeBron James”, the native of Lannemezan went to the Chargers training center, exchanging a few passes with certain players, kicking a few balls against the posts and taking advantage of their facilities. “He’s easy,” breathed Cameron Dicker, the team’s scorer, on social media.
Antoine Dupont back in training on October 7
However, he will not carry out any real training with the Californian franchise, as envisaged by some, and will be content to attend the clash against Kansas City on Sunday. He has already been to see a Dodgers match against the San Diego Padres, and is expected to visit the Rugby Football Club Los Angeles, the American rugby franchise created in 2023. A meeting which will not be trivial in a country which will host the Rugby World Cup in 2031.
For the rest, if Antoine Dupont could visit another city before returning to France, the emphasis will be placed on rest. And probably some physical sessions. As he hinted during Rugby Night, his return to training is approaching. It is set for October 7. And Antoine Dupont would hope to return to competition only five days later, when they host Clermont.
