Antoine Dupont gives fast and furious sevens new life in quest for greatness at Olympics

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If the key to launching a new festival is getting the right headline act, then having rugby’s biggest star on board is quite the coup. In the aftermath of French World Cup disappointment came confirmation of Antoine Dupont’s long-rumoured move from the 15-a-side game into sevens – probably the best men’s player on the planet sacrificing next year’s Six Nations to chase Olympic glory.

His arrival could not be more timely for a flagging format in need of reinvigoration. The rebranded SVNS series kicks off in Dubai this weekend, embarking on a revamped eight-stop global adventure that will conclude with finals weekend in Madrid in June. The relaunch comes after a difficult period for sevens, Covid wiping out much of the momentum built after a first Olympic inclusion at Rio 2016.

The plan is to take the best elements of Dubai and Hong Kong – historically the two most successful stops on the world tour – and build upon them, with a more cohesive package around the fast and furious rugby format. Music and food offerings will sit alongside both elite and mass participation sporting contests designed to appeal to the “leisure-hungry” 18 to 35 demographic.

For the first time, men’s and women’s competitions will take place at each location, with entry fees the same for both genders. The inaugural season will end at Atletico’s Wanda Metropolitano as World Rugby bid to activate the fanbase in Spain, a country they consider a “sleeping giant”.

“We recognised that we live in a time where we have to compete for fans’ time and their wallets,” explains Sam Pinder, World Rugby’s general manager of sevens. “We can’t stand still. The sevens series itself has been hugely successful since 1999, but we need to evolve and go with the times.

“There are successes in the Dubai model, where they have got that mass participation as an integrated part of the event. Hong Kong doesn’t have that space, but has implemented entertainment in and around the rugby that has certainly kept the party going, and attracted a lot of people to come along with the festival element of the event. Utilising those two components, we’ve built out our vision and we are looking to implement that across the entire series.”

The travelling circus is no stranger to high-profile guest appearances but Dupont’s arrival feels different, the game’s biggest star forgoing one of its biggest tournaments to prioritise pursuit of gold. Former Australia captain Michael Hooper is on board, too, adding to a roster that includes some of the women’s games biggest names: Charlotte Caslick, Jasmine Joyce and Ilona Maher, to name just three.

Dupont’s decision to play in several events ahead of the Olympics should ease his transition into a French side coming off of a successful season. But how the scrum-half adapts is of real intrigue, a Gallic god with all the gifts, but nonetheless untried in this arena.

“He’s obviously got the perfect blend of skillset for it,” assesses Harlequins fly-half Will Edwards – who spent several seasons on the circuit before moving into the 15-a-side game – of Dupont’s chances of making a success of the switch.

“The general rugby skillset is very similar. Each small detail is highlighted to the nth degree because it is seven players on a 15-a-side pitch. Missing one tackle in a fifteens game, you are normally backed up by a mate; if you miss a tackle on a sevens pitch, they are probably going to go and score. It puts your one-on-one ability in all facets of the game under the spotlight.

“He will be fit enough, it’s just a very different type of fitness. Sevens is at 90 per cent of your max speed for 14 minutes straight in the heat, and there aren’t as many breaks in play. How your body deals with it is different.”

Edwards believes news of Dupont and Hooper’s defections will have pricked up the ears of plenty of potential sevens converts around the world – Marcus Smith, Joe Marchant, Adam Radwan and Ben Earl are four Englishmen he thinks could thrive. A version of the sport curiously unloved in some quarters has plenty of success stories, not least South African World Cup winners Kwagga Smith, Cheslin Kolbe and Kurt-Lee Arendse, all stars of the seven-a-side game who have since stepped into Springbok shirts.

The next 12 months could well spark the format back into life. “Sevens should be on a nice upward curve with everything that is going on,” Edwards suggests. “It is only positive when you get more big names going and playing because it brings more eyes to the game than there would have been previously. You hope it puts sevens back on the map.”

World Rugby is still awaiting official word of the specific timing of Dupont’s move, with the Frenchman otherwise occupied with Toulouse for a while at least. But there is no doubt that his announcement has generated significant interest, not least in France, where tickets are selling well for the Olympic events next summer.

Sevens will help kick off Paris 2024, with two days of competition before the official opening ceremony along the Seine. With rugby striving to break beyond its traditional borders, inclusion in a third edition of the Games affords it another vital opportunity.

“It is a huge year for everyone involved,” Sam Pinder says. “It is a unique selling point for sevens that it is an Olympic sport. Sevens itself is a hugely positive vehicle for World Rugby to take it to new destinations and grow fandom.

“The Olympics is the pinnacle of sporting events. To be on that platform and in that arena with rugby sevens is something that we can capitalise on and grow the global awareness of the sport.”