France superstar Antoine Dupont makes winning start to Sevens career after raucous welcome

Jared Wright
France's Antoine Dupont during the 2024 Vancouver Sevens.

France's Antoine Dupont during the 2024 Vancouver Sevens.

France and Toulouse scrum-half Antoine Dupont has made a winning start to his Sevens career, featuring in the opening two games in Vancouver.

Dupont skippered France to a Six Nations Grand Slam title in 2022 and retained the captaincy through to the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

Antoine Dupont makes sevens debut

However, he has decided to chase his Olympic Dream and has converted to represent his country in the sevens code in an attempt to play at France 2024, putting his Toulouse and France career on pause to do so.

This weekend, he made his sevens debut in Vancouver and received boisterous cheers when he entered the action as the stadium announcer and the fans welcomed the former World Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year.

He came onto the pitch with three minutes left to play in France’s 24-12 victory over the USA and would make his second appearance in their second match of the day against Samoa – which France also won convincingly 40-7.

“Antoine is a very good player, and it’s very important for us to help him on the field, and I think for the first day it’s been a good day for us and for him, winning our first two games,” France sevens captain Paulin Riva said.

“He’s the best player in the world, so for me, it’s an honour to have him in the group.”

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France aim to go one better

Meanwhile, men’s competition leaders Argentina continued their dominance, picking up wins over hosts Canada and Spain in Pool A.

Great Britain and Fiji also won their first two games to secure their place in the quarter-finals.

France will face Australia in their final pool stage match of the Vancouver Sevens and will look to go one better than the last time they featured in Canada when they finished as runners-up to Argentina.

In Dupont’s absence, France lost their opening game of the 2024 Six Nations, falling to a 38-17 loss to Ireland before bouncing back to defeat Scotland 20-16 in round two.

Fabien Galthie’s charges host Italy on Sunday in the Six Nations.

READ MORE: Did the Springboks break France? What has caused Les Bleus’ Six Nations slump since World Cup exit

France Antoine Dupont

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