Nearly two months after winning the Olympic title in Paris, the French rugby sevens team is thinking about the future. And without Antoine Dupont, it will definitely be very different.
Antoine Dupont already has his mind set on the future. While he was on the Champs-Elysées on Saturday to take part in the champions’ parade organised in honour of the Olympic medallists, the Toulouse scrum-half is preparing to return to training with the Rouge et Noir and will also be back with the French XV in a month and a half to prepare for the autumn tests.
The French rugby 7s team must also think about the future. A future that will be written without the Toulouse star but also without several other Olympic medalists, who are also returning to the Top 14: Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang (Pau), Jean-Pascal Barraque (Perpignan), Théo Forner (Perpignan), Jefferson-Lee Joseph (Perpignan), Andy Timo (Stade Français), Rayan Rebbadj (Toulon), Nelson Épée (Toulouse).
“Antoine will no longer be there…”
Another hero of the Stade de France title will be missing. After seven years of loyal service, Jérôme Daret, the French coach, has decided to turn the page. The Federation has even published a job offer on LinkedIn with a contract until August 31. Finding a successor to Antoine Dupont will be much more complicated, if not impossible.
The former Castres player has in fact won three of the four tournaments he has taken part in. Although he had to settle for bronze in Vancouver, he then won the tournaments in Los Angeles and Madrid before the apotheosis in Paris. “We have been in the spotlight a lot, but tomorrow it will pass a little, fade, we will have to manage that,” Jérôme Daret confided about him, adding:
“It may not be exactly the same results straight away, after the victories before and during the Games. Antoine will no longer be there. But the French team has this gold medal, whatever happens, it will remain a marker. It is certain that it will be followed much more than before.”
The first meeting of the Blues is now set for November 30 in Dubai and will be able to count on a few key players including captain Paulin Riva as well as Stephen Parez-Edo Martin and Jordan Sepho.
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