European champion, French champion, best player of the Top 14 and winner of the All Blacks. This season, nothing has escaped Antoine Dupont. It is therefore no great surprise that the scrum half from Stade Toulouse has just been voted best player of the year by World Rugby on Friday, December 10, 2021.
Already named in the XV of the year by World Rugby, this time he faced the Englishman of Saracens, Maro Itoje (second row) and the two Australians Michael Hopper (third row) and Samu Kerevi (center). In the end, it is a jury of experts and the vote of the public who have dedicated the native of Lannemezan (Hautes-Pyrénées).
In a few seasons, and at only 25 years old, Dupont has established himself as one of the executives of the XV of France and of his club, Toulouse. If this week it is his friend of the hinge, Romain Ntamack who praised the merits of “Toto”, qualifying his possible title of “logic” , the planet rugby agrees to starify the player.
Magnificent!
The Men’s 15s Player of the Year, in association with @MasterCard, is @FranceRugby Super star @ Dupont9A#WorldRugbyAwards pic.twitter.com/kjfHsEBqLP
– World Rugby (@WorldRugby) December 10, 2021
Long considered the best number 9 on the planet, the All Black Aaron Smith made Dupont his successor, via a post on Twitter. In the fall precisely, the two players had met during the French victory (40-25). Once again, the “Minister of the Interior” (for his ability to provide support inside the game) had made all the display of his game … and his genius.
Shoot for the moon
A BIG thank you all, and especially to the staffs and my teammates of @francerugby and @StadeToulousain Still plenty of beautiful things to collect together pic.twitter.com/181ckfpVfs– Antoine Dupont (@ Dupont9A) December 10, 2021
After the world champion, Pieter Steph du Toit in 2019, it is therefore a French who lifts the trophy. This had not happened since 2011 and the victory of Thierry Dusautoir. Before that, Fabien Galthié was the first French to win the win in 2002.
Among women, it was the Englishwoman Zoé Aldcroft who was voted best player of the year 2021. Two French women, Laure Sansus and Caroline Boujard, were in the running.