XV of France. Mediatization, “peopolization”… How Antoine Dupont avoids the trap of dispersion

« Antoine, today is THE subject. » Pronounced by Fabien Galthié, these words outline the obvious. An observation that no one in Marcoussis will complain about. The phenomenon was a boon for the “communicators” of the federation last week: it saved them from having to delve into the crisis management manual for dummies. If there was obviously a lot of talk about the toughening of the living environment, for the first gathering of the XV of France since the pathetic July tour in Argentina, the return of the scrum half, more than a year after his last appearance with the French fifteen players, served as a perfect counter-fire.

Illustration during the press conference dedicated to the presentation of the internal charter now in force. However hot, the agenda deviated after less than five minutes with a question addressed to the coach: was it obvious to (re)entrust the captaincy to the now Olympic Rugby sevens champion, while he hasn't played with this team since the quarter-final loss to South Africa at the World Cup?

“I guess that's part of the journey when you achieve that type of notoriety. There is a form of peopolization of treatment as soon as it concerns it”

Even before being voted best player in the world in 2021, Antoine Dupont had gotten into the habit of catalyzing attention. A few weeks before the start of the World Cup, those close to him were already talking about the accessories – caps and other sunglasses – that he had to pull out to share simple moments in public. His Olympic medal, the first for the French delegation at the Paris Olympics, ultimately only pushed him to expand his wardrobe…

People

“The Olympics opened Antoine’s exposure to people who are not necessarily keen on sport and rugby in particular,” observes Christophe Quiquandon, founder of Bros Agency, an image company in which Antoine Dupont is also a shareholder: “But what strikes me the most is that there is a lot of cover-up being done about Antoine, regardless of what he does.

After his Instagram post, where he is packing his suitcase with a Chargers jersey (the US football franchise from Los Angeles) before leaving for the USA, it was an outpouring: between speculation, false information, it was everything and anything! I guess that’s part of the “journey” when you achieve this type of notoriety. There is a form of “peopolization” of treatment as soon as it concerns it. »

Antoine Dupont does not seem to have been overly moved by this episode. Like previous ones. “He puts things into perspective: for the moment, he manages to let himself be caught up in this media side, but without letting any energy go, without getting emotionally involved,” the former second row testified during the Crunch podcast. international Yoann Maestri, who is also his friend: “He manages to segment all that. » Those around him still identify a risk. “It could give rise to the idea that Antoine could disperse,” worries Christophe Quiquandon: “That’s what bothers me the most. His vacation generated coverage that may suggest he's doing too much stuff when he actually did three or four mini-activities. »

Vision

So far he seems to have managed to avoid this trap. Honed by the specific work he has done to adapt to the demands of rugby sevens, the sporting aura of the captain of the Blues is intact. Even reinforced by its Olympic triumph and, more generally, a breathtaking year 2024, rewarded by a new Top 14 – Champions Cup double. “Antoine is the French rugby player who has achieved many exceptional things,” says Fabien Galthié. Like scoring a hat-trick in less than 10 minutes on his return to competition, after two months of vacation, in October against Clermont… “He has a vision ahead,” breathes Emilien Gailleton with deference.

“He’s gone into another dimension, but he’s not an influencer. It all comes from what he does on the pitch.”

He maintains this talent, which makes him a candidate for a new individual distinction at the World Rugby Awards, on a daily basis. “When we were together, he trained like crazy,” said Yoann Maestri, on the support of “L’Equipe”, after sharing moments together this summer: “In the United States, he is trained like crazy too. He takes photos, it looks like he spends the day there, but it's only 10 or 15 minutes in fact! »

His preparation, what he refers to as a “routine” in which recovery takes a primordial place, gives the “the” to his other activities. “Antoine's communication strategy is not to develop his notoriety,” insists Christophe Quiquandon: “The choice will be the quality of the projects and the combination of respect for his recovery and his sporting performance. This is one reason why we try to do little. Even if there is a gap between the number of his interventions and the media coverage dedicated to him. » During this tour, he should therefore be “content” to speak during the press conferences assigned to the captain.

Selective sorting

Apart from filming for the Telethon, which took him an hour in Marcoussis, he rejected media requests. Since this summer, Antoine Dupont has only followed up on a handful of them. He made the front page of the magazine “Têtu” in June and Les Rencontres du Papotin on France 2. A program during which he notably discussed for the first time the circumstances of the death of his father in January 2023. A subject on which he does not however wish to express himself.

“He made “Têtu” to move the lines on the relationship to homophobia in sport in general and rugby in particular. And the Papotin is a unique experience: it was he who asked to participate,” explains Christophe Quiquandon. Two events only. But two sequences which further stimulated his notoriety. Antoine Dupont has now exceeded one million subscribers on the social network Instagram.

This figure sets him apart in his sport. At an altitude where only New Zealander Dan Carter and Springbok captain Siya Kolisi have ventured. “He has moved into another dimension, but he is not an influencer”, procrastinates Christophe Quiquandon: “His nature is not that we talk about him all day. It goes with the stature he has now. But it all comes from what he does on the pitch. » Where the Dupont phenomenon continues to flourish.