I was Rugby World Cup poster boy but I’m skipping Six Nations to play different game ahead of Olympics

Antoine Dupont has started his quest for Olympic gold with France this summer in Paris.

The rugby union sensation has ditched the Six Nations to play sevens after making his debut for France at the Vancouver leg of the SVNS series over the weekend.

AFPFrance’s Antoine Dupont has ditched the Six Nations to play sevens[/caption]

AFPDupont has made the switch in his quest for gold at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics[/caption]

The Paris Summer Olympics will only be hosting men’s and women’s rugby sevens, as opposed to the more common 15-man game.

That saw French star boy Dupont make a tactical decision to skip the Guinness Six Nations to focus on playing sevens for the chance to win an Olympic medal.

On announcing that he will play in the Olympic Sevens instead of the Six Nations, Dupont told Canal+: “Competing for an Olympic medal is really motivating.

“We’ll have to adjust things. I won’t be able to play all the matches every weekend until the end of the season. Sacrifices will have to be made to be able to spend time with the team.”

And to no one’s surprise, the 2023 World Cup poster boy knows exactly how to play.

Dupont came off the bench and fired his country into the last four with a late try on Saturday in a quarter-final win over Ireland.

But the France 15-a-side captain was unable to inspire his nation to sevens silverware as New Zealand edged them out in the semi-finals of the HSBC SVNS event in Vancouver.

New Zealand took control of the semi-final after early tries from Cody Vai and Akuila Rokolisoa gave them a 14-5 interval advantage.

Jordan Sepho’s try helped France cut the lead to 14-12, but New Zealand stretched away again before consolation scores from Rayan Rebbadj and Joseph Jefferson saw the match end up 28-26 to the All Blacks.

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With the Rugby World Cup having been played on home soil last year, and France going out in the quarter-final to South Africa, Dupont knows he would have had to wait three and a half years to win an international trophy he hasn’t lifted before.

And therefore, the Paris Olympics comes at a particularly convenient time for him.

Dupont won five major trophies in his career, including three Top 14 titles, the European Rugby Champions Cup and the Six Nations Championship, which he won with a Grand Slam in 2022.

France will not be repeating that feat this year after a very underwhelming start.

Les Bleus were hammered at home by Ireland before grinding out a win in Scotland and then only managing a 13-13 draw with Italy last weekend.

Following his international sevens debut tournament, Dupont said: “There are very fast guys and they’ve known this game for a very long time. I’m new on the series so I have to learn.

“I have to do my best from the first game until the last.

“All the action on the field makes me more confident.

“I have to spend time on the field, spend time with the guys to know them better. I have to learn every minute when I am on the field.

“I played a lot when I was 16, 17 years old.

“After I became pro it was more difficult to play sevens so I just watched the game on TV and I watched a lot of players who are here now. It’s a pleasure to play against them.”