A little over a month ago, French fans were thrilled for the first time at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with the Blues of rugby 7s. Led by Antoine Dupont, the captain of the French rugby union team, the Tricolores won the gold medal, the first in their history, against the Fijians, then double reigning Olympic champions.
An exploit that has shed light on this discipline that is usually not very exposed, as the Olympic Games often allow. But for Eric Di Meco, behind the magic of the Olympic Games, “what happened in rugby 7s is catastrophic”. The cause: the performances of the Toulousain, which according to him reflect a “terrible image” for the discipline.
“Catastrophic for rugby 7s”
“What happened with Dupont is catastrophic for rugby 7s. The best player in the world plays three minutes per match and crosses the stadium. That means that rugby 7s players are third division players. It’s a terrible image,” the consultant said during the Super Mercato Show on Thursday on RMC.
Used as an “impact player”, only coming on after the first half to bring energy and “finish” the job, Antoine Dupont played a major role in the success of Jérôme Daret’s men. The Frenchman was decisive from the moment he joined the team. Once the disappointment of the Rugby World Cup had passed, he embarked on his crazy gamble of switching to rugby 7s with the Games in his sights. With him, France won three medals on the world circuit: one bronze then two gold, in Los Angeles (the first in 19 years) and in Madrid during the final tournament.
With the Olympic adventure over, the scrum-half is now preparing to return to Stade Toulousain and the Top 14 full-time. Back in rugby union, the 27-year-old has nevertheless set himself a new challenge: to test himself in a position other than number 9. Still resting, he should return to competition at the end of September and miss the start of the season while the Rouge et Noir put their title on the line on Sunday, in the lair of RC Vannes.
- RMC Sport
