Antoine Dupont set to miss Six Nations as he eyes Olympic Sevens, Japan move

The superstar scrumhalf is set to turn his hand to sevens in the new year, joining up with the France squad and competing in the shorter form of the game.

Dupont will take part in the Vancouver and Los Angeles legs of the SVNS series in February and March, which means that he will not be involved in the Six Nations.

That is due to the ultimate aim of realising his long-held dream of competing in the Paris Olympics, which runs from July 26-August 11.

Following the end of that competition, L'Equipe have reported that Dupont is looking at the chance of flying to Japan.

Described as a 'freelance' opportunity, or perhaps more likely a sabbatical not too dissimilar to what All Blacks players have regularly done, the 27-year-old could spend a few months playing in Asia.

That would put his participation in the 2025 Six Nations in doubt and also deprive Toulouse of one of their stars.

President for Les Rouge et Noir, Didier Lacroix, last week stated that Dupont may be absent after the Olympics has finished, to help him recover following a physically and mentally draining few years.

"If the kid is flushed, and he has the impression of not having had a break for a while, we will ask the question of his recovery afterwards," Lacroix said.

"And that involves everyone, the Federation, Stade Toulousain. The absence of Antoine Dupont, how do we manage it? With what regulations? There is no World Cup joker there.

"If Antoine Dupont cuts two or three months, what's going on? Are we looking for a joker for that duration? No, it doesn't exist."

Midi Olympique understand the situation differently, however, and have reported that Dupont may well take a break after the Olympics but he will not be plying his trade in Japan.

As a result, they expect him to be available for the Six Nations, which would be a significant boost for Les Bleus head coach Fabien Galthie.

According to RMC Sport, the scrumhalf and his team considered the idea of playing in Japan, but ultimately decided against going through with it.

His schedule could also allow him to participate at the end of Toulouse's 2023/24 season and potentially play a role in both the Champions Cup and Top 14 final stages should they get there.

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