Dupont and Hooper may prove Olympic-year trailblazers, says World Rugby boss

The decisions of Test stars such as Antoine Dupont and Michael Hooper to switch to sevens ahead of the Olympics will help lift the profile of under-appreciated athletes already wowing crowds on the circuit, according to World Rugby boss Alan Gilpin.

Gilpin shared his view on Scarborough Beach on Thursday ahead of the Perth sevens tournament, which is the third leg of the 2023-24 World Sevens Series and starts on Friday.

Aussie fans won’t get to see either Dupont or Hooper play live, with both pencilled in for their respective debuts for France and Australia at the next tournament in Los Angeles.

Dupont is a bona-fide superstar of rugby and considered by many to be the game’s best. The halfback won the World Rugby player of the year in 2021 (and was a nominee in 2022 and 2023) and has won the MVP for the Six Nations in three of the last four years.

But the France captain will miss the upcoming Six Nations to join the French sevens team, aiming to win a gold medal in a home Olympic Games in late July.

Hooper, a two-time nominee for World Rugby player of the year, signed a one-year deal to also have a shot at becoming an Olympian.

Gilpin said he welcomed the added attention that stars like Dupont and Hooper bring to sevens rugby.

Antoine Dupont passes the ball during the Rugby World Cup against New Zealand.Credit: AP

“Sevens and the athletes and the stars we have in sevens, for too long has been a well-kept secret and part of our job is to make sure they’re not, and to give all these brilliant women and brilliant men the best platform,” Gilpin said.

“Bringing in some higher profile names from across the sport definitely allows that to happen. We saw Nate Ebner back in 2016 as a cross-over athlete from the NFL provides that crossover profile for the US men’s team, and the more that happens I think, the more it shines a light on what we have already got - which is brilliant - and allows us to push on from there.

“But I know in this part of the world Charlotte Caslick would be as big a star as you’d see in female sport, and quite rightly so.”

A handful of high-profile Test stars have made Olympic sevens switches before - including Sonny Bill Williams, and Semi Radradra. But if Dupont wins a gold medal with the French side, it could prompt many more big names to follow suit in 2028.

Former Wallabies captain Michael Hooper is trying his hand at sevens.Credit: Dion Georgopoulos

“The Olympics is so unique. Antoine Dupont had made that decision or was making that decision before France didn’t win a World Cup on home soil. But the idea of having an opportunity to compete for a gold medal in a home Olympic Games, he recognises is once-in-a-lifetime,” Gilpin said.

The Perth Sevens tournament is part of World Rugby’s recently re-structured World Sevens Series, which has seen a reduction in teams and rounds.

The 12 captains of the men’s series ahead of the Perth Sevens.Credit: Getty

The intense competition in the men’s series has plenty of people nervous - all teams have the ability to beat each other and one pool loss on day one can ruin a tournament. With bonus points awarded for losing by less than seven points, every game so far has been a dogfight - which suits the Australian men’s side.

The Aussie men have been known as one of the grittiest teams on the world series for a long time, and along with much-improved speed and skill, they finished runners-up in the last leg in Cape Town.

“The ability to hang tough and stay in the fight is something we pride ourselves on, and that has definitely heightened in value in this new competition,” coach John Manenti said.

“Our big focus is consistency and to keep improving every time we take the field, and if we can do that, we’ll be a competitive team.”

Watch all the action from the Perth Rugby 7’s this Australia Day long weekend, kicking off 3pm AEDT Friday, ad-free, live and exclusive on the Home of Rugby, Stan Sport.