Latest news with #AntoineDupont
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Premiership teams fear breakaway rugby franchise league could lead to a collapse of the English game with world's top players targeted
There are real and substantive fears at Gallagher Premiership teams that the creation of a new rugby breakaway franchise league could be the death knell for English clubs. R360 say they want to provide 'generational change in rugby' by creating 12 new franchise teams with the best players in the world who will play at the best stadiums around the planet. While plans for the new concept would retain the importance and prestige of the international game and organisers are understood to have left gaps for the existing club game to continue, it is understood Premiership club bosses have significant concerns they could be forced out of existence. Mail Sport understands that Premiership Rugby Limited – which oversees the running of the Premiership – has looked to reassure those with worries. R360 is being led by former England star and 2003 World Cup winner Mike Tindall and ex-rugby agent Mark Spoors. They plan to target the world's leading lights such as French superstar Antoine Dupont and England internationals such as Maro Itoje and Marcus Smith. Players touring with the British & Irish Lions in Australia this summer have been approached. The world's top players, such as Antoine Dupont, are being touted as the stars of a new 12-team competition Heads of terms over potential contracts which could be worth up to $1mliion each have been seen by the players and are sure to prove attractive. While no firm contracts have yet been offered, the clubs are concerned they will lose their top stars, thus making them less marketable at a time when the Premiership is already struggling financially. Such a scenario could potentially force them out of business. It has been pointed out to Mail Sport that it would be counterintuitive for Premiership clubs to produce players through their own pathway programmes at a great deal of cost both in terms of time and money, only for them to potentially then lose them to R360. Mail Sport also understands that those close to the R360 deal have been told to keep quiet over the league's proposals. Leading agents in the English game have also signed non-disclosure agreements with R360 to minimise competition detail leaks. As such, there is some frustration at Premiership clubs at the timing this week of news surrounding R360's plans. There is a belief in some quarters the news was designed to be released in the week of the Premiership play-off semi-finals to distract from what should be a big week in English club rugby and become the main talking point.
The Independent
10 hours ago
- General
- The Independent
French rugby team gets boost ahead of All Blacks clash
France has reached an agreement with the Top 14 to allow some of the best players to join the national team for the summer tour against the All Blacks in New Zealand. Originally, France was expected to field a largely second-string squad due to the proximity of the Top 14 final to the Test series, which begins on 5 July. Under the agreement, up to five players from the two Top 14 finalist clubs can be included in the 42-man squad, provided they haven't had excessive playing time during the season. French rugby federation vice-president Jean-Marc Lhermet said the agreement struck a balance between sporting performance and player protection. Key players like Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Damian Penaud are unlikely to travel due to heavy workloads, while Antoine Dupont is still recovering from an ACL injury.
Times
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Times
How Lyon will try to stop ‘magical' Finn Russell in Challenge Cup final
Martin Page-Relo used to be Antoine Dupont's understudy at Toulouse, the same club where Romain Ntamack was his half-back partner in the youth teams from the age of 12 and then his flatmate when the pair broke into the senior ranks. It's safe to say, then, that the Italy scrum half knows a special talent when he sees one, which makes it all the more striking to hear him assert that Finn Russell operates at 'as high a level as anyone I've ever played with or against when it comes to technique, vision and game understanding. The three of them [Russell, Dupont and Ntamack] are exceptionally strong all-round, but Finn is the one with what I would call the magic touch, who can create something
CNA
22-05-2025
- Sport
- CNA
France's Bielle-Biarrey wins British writers' award
LONDON :France and Bordeaux-Begles winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey was named the British Rugby Union Writers' Club personality of the year on Thursday after an incredible season for club and country that could get better yet. Bielle-Biarrey, 21, is the youngest winner of the Pat Marshall award since New Zealand wing Jonah Lomu in 1995. He scored in every match of the Six Nations, claiming a tournament record of eight in all, to help France to the title. His electric pace has been just as effective for Bordeaux-Begles, who are riding high in second place in the French Top 14 and who face Northampton in the European Champions Cup final in Cardiff on Saturday seeking to win the title for the first time. In all, Bielle-Biarrey has scored a remarkable 31 tries in 27 games for club and country this season. "It is really an honour for me to write my name next to these the legends of the game,' he told the RUWC on receipt of the trophy. 'It is a big honour, and thank you to all the journalists.' He is the third Frenchman to win the award, following Antoine Dupont in 2021 and Jean-Pierre Rives in 1981. List of winners of the RUWC Pat Marshall award 1976 MERVYN DAVIES (Swansea and Wales) 1977 ANDY IRVINE (Heriot's FP and Scotland) 1978 GARETH EDWARDS (Cardiff and Wales) 1979 JPR WILLIAMS (Bridgend and Wales) 1980 BILL BEAUMONT (Fylde and England) 1981 JEAN-PIERRE RIVES (Toulouse and France) 1982 OLLIE CAMPBELL (Old Belvedere and Ireland) 1983 DAVE LOVERIDGE (Taranaki and New Zealand) 1984 JIM AITKEN (Gala and Scotland) 1985 MICK DOYLE (Ireland coach) 1986 JONATHAN DAVIES (Neath and Wales) 1987 DAVID KIRK (Auckland and New Zealand) 1988 ROBERT NORSTER (Cardiff and Wales) 1989 FINLAY CALDER (Stewart's-Melville FP and Scotland) 1990 IAN McGEECHAN (Scotland coach) 1991 DAVID CAMPESE (NSW and Australia) 1992 NICK FARR-JONES (NSW and Australia) 1993 BEN CLARKE (Bath and England) 1994 FRANCOIS PIENAAR (Transvaal and South Africa) 1995 JONAH LOMU (Counties and New Zealand) 1996 SEAN FITZPATRICK (Auckland and New Zealand) 1997 LAWRENCE DALLAGLIO (Wasps and England) 1998 NICK MALLETT (South Africa coach) 1999 TIM HORAN (Queensland and Australia) 2000 PAT LAM (Northampton and Samoa) 2001 MARTIN JOHNSON (Leicester and England) 2002 JONNY WILKINSON (Newcastle and England) 2003 MARTIN JOHNSON (Leicester and England) 2004 ROBERT HOWLEY (Wasps and Wales) 2005 GARETH THOMAS (Toulouse and Wales) 2006 JASON WHITE (Sale and Scotland) 2007 JASON ROBINSON (Sale and England) 2008 SHANE WILLIAMS (Ospreys and Wales) 2009 BRIAN O'DRISCOLL (Leinster and Ireland) 2010 MAGGIE ALPHONSI (Saracens and England) 2011 SAM WARBURTON (Cardiff Blues and Wales) 2012 CHRIS ROBSHAW (Harlequins and England) 2013 LEIGH HALFPENNY (Cardiff Blues and Wales) 2014 EMILY SCARRATT (Lichfield and England) 2015 DAN CARTER (Crusaders and New Zealand) 2016 EDDIE JONES (England coach) 2017 OWEN FARRELL (Saracens and England) 2018 JONATHAN SEXTON (Leinster and Ireland) 2019 SIYA KOLISI (Stormers and South Africa) 2020 ROB BAXTER (Exeter Chiefs coach) 2021 ANTOINE DUPONT (Toulouse and France) 2022 SARAH HUNTER (Loughborough Lightning and England)
Reuters
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
France's Bielle-Biarrey wins British writers' award
LONDON, May 22 (Reuters) - France and Bordeaux-Begles winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey was named the British Rugby Union Writers' Club personality of the year on Thursday after an incredible season for club and country that could get better yet. Bielle-Biarrey, 21, is the youngest winner of the Pat Marshall award since New Zealand wing Jonah Lomu in 1995. He scored in every match of the Six Nations, claiming a tournament record of eight in all, to help France to the title. His electric pace has been just as effective for Bordeaux-Begles, who are riding high in second place in the French Top 14 and who face Northampton in the European Champions Cup final in Cardiff on Saturday seeking to win the title for the first time. In all, Bielle-Biarrey has scored a remarkable 31 tries in 27 games for club and country this season. "It is really an honour for me to write my name next to these the legends of the game,' he told the RUWC on receipt of the trophy. 'It is a big honour, and thank you to all the journalists.' He is the third Frenchman to win the award, following Antoine Dupont in 2021 and Jean-Pierre Rives in 1981. List of winners of the RUWC Pat Marshall award 1976 MERVYN DAVIES (Swansea and Wales) 1977 ANDY IRVINE (Heriot's FP and Scotland) 1978 GARETH EDWARDS (Cardiff and Wales) 1979 JPR WILLIAMS (Bridgend and Wales) 1980 BILL BEAUMONT (Fylde and England) 1981 JEAN-PIERRE RIVES (Toulouse and France) 1982 OLLIE CAMPBELL (Old Belvedere and Ireland) 1983 DAVE LOVERIDGE (Taranaki and New Zealand) 1984 JIM AITKEN (Gala and Scotland) 1985 MICK DOYLE (Ireland coach) 1986 JONATHAN DAVIES (Neath and Wales) 1987 DAVID KIRK (Auckland and New Zealand) 1988 ROBERT NORSTER (Cardiff and Wales) 1989 FINLAY CALDER (Stewart's-Melville FP and Scotland) 1990 IAN McGEECHAN (Scotland coach) 1991 DAVID CAMPESE (NSW and Australia) 1992 NICK FARR-JONES (NSW and Australia) 1993 BEN CLARKE (Bath and England) 1994 FRANCOIS PIENAAR (Transvaal and South Africa) 1995 JONAH LOMU (Counties and New Zealand) 1996 SEAN FITZPATRICK (Auckland and New Zealand) 1997 LAWRENCE DALLAGLIO (Wasps and England) 1998 NICK MALLETT (South Africa coach) 1999 TIM HORAN (Queensland and Australia) 2000 PAT LAM (Northampton and Samoa) 2001 MARTIN JOHNSON (Leicester and England) 2002 JONNY WILKINSON (Newcastle and England) 2003 MARTIN JOHNSON (Leicester and England) 2004 ROBERT HOWLEY (Wasps and Wales) 2005 GARETH THOMAS (Toulouse and Wales) 2006 JASON WHITE (Sale and Scotland) 2007 JASON ROBINSON (Sale and England) 2008 SHANE WILLIAMS (Ospreys and Wales) 2009 BRIAN O'DRISCOLL (Leinster and Ireland) 2010 MAGGIE ALPHONSI (Saracens and England) 2011 SAM WARBURTON (Cardiff Blues and Wales) 2012 CHRIS ROBSHAW (Harlequins and England) 2013 LEIGH HALFPENNY (Cardiff Blues and Wales) 2014 EMILY SCARRATT (Lichfield and England) 2015 DAN CARTER (Crusaders and New Zealand) 2016 EDDIE JONES (England coach) 2017 OWEN FARRELL (Saracens and England) 2018 JONATHAN SEXTON (Leinster and Ireland) 2019 SIYA KOLISI (Stormers and South Africa) 2020 ROB BAXTER (Exeter Chiefs coach) 2021 ANTOINE DUPONT (Toulouse and France) 2022 SARAH HUNTER (Loughborough Lightning and England) 2023 COURTNEY LAWES (Northampton Saints and England) 2024 LOUIS BIELLE-BIARREY (Bordeaux-Begles and France)
