SCRUM-HALF ANTOINE DUPONT describes chasing Olympic gold with France’s seven-a-side squad in Paris this summer as a “holy grail”.
France’s regular 15-a-side captain has opted to miss this season’s Six Nations championship to undergo “an apprenticeship” in the scaled-down format.
“We all have iconic memories of the Games from watching them on television and to aspire to a medal is already wonderful,” he said in a video posted on the French Olympic team’s social media channels.
“It quite simply represents the Holy Grail of sport,” he added.
As France’s Six Nations squad prepare to host Italy and then travel to Wales, Dupont will be competing in the next two legs of the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Vancouver and Los Angeles.
“There are quite a few changes. It may be the same sport but the principles of the game are different, as are the physical and athletic profiles.
“So I’m now in the full phase of apprenticeship,” he added.
