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.

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.”