France's Antoine Dupont fuelled by World Cup disappointment as he targets Olympics

France’s rugby star Antoine Dupont expresses his motivation driven by World Cup disappointment as he gears up for an extraordinary 2024. The 27-year-old scrum-half will be absent from the upcoming Six Nations as he shifts to France’s Sevens program in February, setting his sights on the Paris Olympics.

Dupont acknowledges feeling a mix of excitement and apprehension about transitioning from XV-a-side to Sevens, describing it as being “very excited but a little bit scared.” Despite the challenges, he expresses enthusiasm for the upcoming year, emphasizing his love for a busy schedule.

Having played a pivotal role in Toulouse’s impressive Champions Cup victory over Harlequins, Dupont and his teammates aim to build on their success. The triumph follows the World Cup heartbreak experienced by Dupont and his Toulouse colleagues on home soil against eventual champions South Africa in the quarter-final stage.

Reflecting on the disappointment, Dupont reveals a strong desire to bounce back: “When you lose a competition, you want to do another thing to try to win again.” He highlights the significance of the Champions Cup for Toulouse, noting their heightened motivation evident in recent matches.

Dupont’s upcoming schedule includes participation in Sevens series events in February and March, with a return to Toulouse later in the season before rejoining the Sevens program for the Olympics in July. Despite the challenges of juggling different formats, Dupont expresses his commitment to putting in the necessary work to remain competitive in all competitions.

While acknowledging the difficulty of missing the Six Nations, Dupont underscores the inevitability of making choices and expresses readiness to learn new skills, drawing parallels between Sevens and his earlier experience playing it at the under-18 level.