ohHe would still have liked to spend the World Rugby Awards evening – a kind of Ballon d’Or Oval ceremony – with Santiago Gómez Cora. A few days before the event, the coach of the Argentine men’s rugby sevens team was outraged because Antoine Dupont was one of the four nominated for the title of best sevens player in the world. “It’s disrespectful”declared. Implied for those who practice the discipline full time. We can’t imagine his reaction when he found out that the Pyrenees won the championship on Sunday, November 24 in Monaco.
The reason for this anger, widely shared on social networks? Antoine Dupont would have parachuted in and won because of his status rather than his performances. After all, he has only played four Sevens tournaments in 2024 (including the Paris Olympics) and has started most of the games on the substitutes’ bench. But let’s take the problem the other way around: is it fair to deprive a player of the individual recognition he deserves because his name is Antoine Dupont?
Because once he put on the septist suit, Dupont did Dupont. With him, the Blues took everything. In Los Angeles, first international round since 2005. In Madrid, final of the world circuit, an unprecedented performance. And in Paris, obviously, the Olympic title. Above all, the final will remain, in which he beat Fiji almost alone, scoring two tries and offering another on a plate to Aaron Grandidier Nkanang after crossing the field.
Not bad for a “beginner”, who probably won’t give much thought to malicious comments. He was already entitled to his prize when he announced (although with great humility) his desire to embark on the VII adventure. “I don’t have a short memory [sur les critiques qui l’ont visé] “And I am proud of the decisions I made.”he said Sunday, once the trophy was in his imposing arms. The usual scrum half has not closed the door to a new Olympic role in 2028 in Los Angeles, where he could definitively consolidate his status in the discipline.
The impasse over the Six Nations Tournament
On Sunday night, the real inconsistency is above all that Antoine Dupont did not win a trophy related to his performances in the XV. The supreme title went to the South African third line Pieter-Steph du Toit. The captain of Fabien Galthié’s team was not even named. The reason is in a phrase from the regulations of World Rugby, the global body that governs the discipline: “Votes are based on their performances in international matches, thus excluding achievements in club rugby. »
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