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Toulouse President addresses Antoine Dupont's Olympic dream after World Cup
Toulouse President Didier Lacroix has said that France captain Antoine Dupont has a “gigantic, permanent appetite,” which has led the scrum-half to express his desire to represent France Sevens at the Olympic Games next year.
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At the Top 14 champions’ annual conference at the beginning of the season this week, Lacroix addressed the reports that the 2021 World Rugby player of the year wants to switch to the seven-man format of the game after the World Cup next month.
It is not often a player gets to play at a home World Cup, but it is even rarer to play at a home Olympics. It is a tight turnaround, but with Paris hosting the games in 2024, the 26-year-old has an opportunity to do both within the space of eleven months.
“In the case of Antoine Dupont,” Lacroix said. “What seems to me to be gigantic is his permanent appetite. He wants to compete in the Olympic Games and will communicate himself on this subject in the future.”
🎙️ Conf’ de rentrée, ?????? ??????? : “Dans le cas d’Antoine Dupont, ce qui me paraît être gigantesque est son appétit permanent. Il a envie de disputer les Jeux Olympiques et communiquera lui-même sur ce sujet dans le futur.”
— Stade Toulousain (@StadeToulousain) August 23, 2023
Dupont’s attention will be firmly on the upcoming World Cup, where his side enter as one of the favourites. But for a player that has won everything the game has to offer except the Webb Ellis Cup, it seems fitting that he will follow in the footsteps of the likes of Sonny Bill Williams and pursue an Olympic Gold a year after the World Cup. After winning the 2015 World Cup with the All Blacks, Williams attempted that feat at the Rio Olympics, but fell short.
French publication Midi Olympique provided the full response from Lacroix online, where he said Toulouse will not stand in the way of the scrum-half should he pursue his Olympic dream.
He said (translated on Google): “It will not be easy, but it is him who chooses and who remains an actor of his intentions. Depending on his decision, we will have to adapt and this will have an impact on the current season, but also on the year after. Afterwards, of course that I have a concern, since the 2022-23 season was incredibly intense, there was a fairly short break, preparation for the World Cup, a World Cup where everyone will give their all, and behind there will be the Top 14… Concerning Antoine, we will see how to support his desire.”
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Comments on RugbyPass
Let’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
4 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
1 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
4 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
4 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
4 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
4 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
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