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Washington Post
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Star power: France captain Antoine Dupont invests in Los Angeles rugby club ahead of Olympics
Antoine Dupont loves L.A. So much so that the France captain has joined the ownership group of a Los Angeles rugby club. It's good timing for the sport, too, as it attempts to boost its profile in the United States. Rugby Football Club Los Angeles said the 28-year-old scrumhalf, one of the world's best rugby union players but currently sidelined with a knee injury , and his company Ouest Coast have joined its ownership group. No financial details were released.
San Francisco Chronicle
17-05-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Star power: France captain Antoine Dupont invests in Los Angeles rugby club ahead of Olympics
Antoine Dupont loves L.A. So much so that the France captain has joined the ownership group of a Los Angeles rugby club. It's good timing for the sport, too, as it attempts to boost its profile in the United States. Rugby Football Club Los Angeles said the 28-year-old scrumhalf, one of the world's best rugby union players but currently sidelined with a knee injury, and his company Ouest Coast have joined its ownership group. No financial details were released. Dupont led France to a rugby sevens gold medal at the Paris Olympics last summer after switching his attention from the traditional 15s format. Sevens remains on the program for the 2028 LA Games. He's no stranger to the Los Angeles area, having visited following the Olympics. While there, Dupont spent a day at the training facility of the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers. He showed head coach Jim Harbaugh how to pass a rugby ball, kicked some field goals and went through a training session, calling the whole thing 'an amazing experience.' RFCLA said Friday that Dupont can bring 'global star power' to the club and Major League Rugby, which launched in 2018. 'Los Angeles is a unique place,' Dupont said in the announcement, "combining the best of sports, entertainment, fashion, and culture — I can't think of any other place that provides such opportunities for youth development, high performance, and commercial success to go hand-in-hand.' The Men's Rugby World Cup will be staged in the U.S. for the first time in 2031 and the women's tournament two years later. World Rugby — the sport's international governing body — has long viewed the U.S. as an area of untapped potential. 'Rugby is more than just a sport; it's a community with strong values,' Dupont said. 'Beyond competitive success on the pitch for RFCLA, I am excited by the opportunity to grow rugby's popularity in the States and establish an energetic hub of rugby culture that attracts players, fans, teams, and partners from around the world.'
Associated Press
17-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Star power: France captain Antoine Dupont invests in Los Angeles rugby club ahead of Olympics
Antoine Dupont loves L.A. So much so that the France captain has joined the ownership group of a Los Angeles rugby club. It's good timing for the sport, too, as it attempts to boost its profile in the United States. Rugby Football Club Los Angeles said the 28-year-old scrumhalf, one of the world's best rugby union players but currently sidelined with a knee injury, and his company Ouest Coast have joined its ownership group. No financial details were released. Dupont led France to a rugby sevens gold medal at the Paris Olympics last summer after switching his attention from the traditional 15s format. Sevens remains on the program for the 2028 LA Games. He's no stranger to the Los Angeles area, having visited following the Olympics. While there, Dupont spent a day at the training facility of the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers. He showed head coach Jim Harbaugh how to pass a rugby ball, kicked some field goals and went through a training session, calling the whole thing 'an amazing experience.' RFCLA said Friday that Dupont can bring 'global star power' to the club and Major League Rugby, which launched in 2018. 'Los Angeles is a unique place,' Dupont said in the announcement, 'combining the best of sports, entertainment, fashion, and culture — I can't think of any other place that provides such opportunities for youth development, high performance, and commercial success to go hand-in-hand.' The Men's Rugby World Cup will be staged in the U.S. for the first time in 2031 and the women's tournament two years later. World Rugby — the sport's international governing body — has long viewed the U.S. as an area of untapped potential. 'Rugby is more than just a sport; it's a community with strong values,' Dupont said. 'Beyond competitive success on the pitch for RFCLA, I am excited by the opportunity to grow rugby's popularity in the States and establish an energetic hub of rugby culture that attracts players, fans, teams, and partners from around the world.' ___ AP rugby:
New York Times
16-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Antoine Dupont, France captain, joins Rugby Football Club Los Angeles ownership group
France captain Antoine Dupont, widely regarded as one of the best rugby union players of his era, has joined the ownership group of Rugby Football Club Los Angeles (RFCLA). Dupont, 28, joins the Major League Rugby franchise with his company, Ouest Coast, and will guide the club's 'performance, branding, and commercial development' with the aim of growing the popularity of the sport in the U.S. Advertisement The French scrum-half joins the club ahead of a significant five years for rugby union in the U.S, with it set to host the 2028 Olympic Games, before the 2031 Men's Rugby World Cup, and 2033 Women's Rugby World Cup. 'Rugby is more than just a sport; it's a community with strong values,' Dupont said in a statement issued on Friday. 'Beyond competitive success on the pitch for RFCLA, I am excited by the opportunity to grow rugby's popularity in the States and establish an energetic hub of rugby culture that attracts players, fans, teams, and partners from around the world. 'Los Angeles is a unique place, combining the best of sports, entertainment, fashion, and culture – I can't think of any other place that provides such opportunities for youth development, high performance, and commercial success to go hand-in-hand.' Rugby Football Club Los Angeles is proud to welcome @Dupont9A into the ownership group of the franchise. MEDIA (English) — Rugby Football Club Los Angeles (@RugbyFCLA) May 16, 2025 Dupont is set to be sidelined for an extended period after rupturing his knee ligaments during France's 42-27 win over Ireland in this year's Six Nations in March. His nation went on to win the final match of their campaign against Scotland to lift the title a week later. The 2021 World Player of the Year has also led his club, Stade Toulousain, to four Top 14 titles — the top-flight of French rugby — in the past five seasons (excluding 2019/2020, which was abandoned due to Covid-19), alongside two European Champions Cup triumphs. Dupont's France won gold in the Rugby 7s event at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris with a 28-7 win over Fiji in the final at the Stade de France. 'We feel very privileged that Antoine has chosen RFCLA as the pathway to inspire new rugby players and fans and to join us in growing a global rugby brand,' RFCLA CEO Pete Sickle said. 'He is as dedicated to expanding the rugby community as he is to competing on the pitch and his vision for integrating the athleticism and core values of rugby will prove invaluable to building a bright future for rugby in LA and throughout the U.S.' ()
CNA
16-05-2025
- Business
- CNA
France captain Dupont joins RFCLA ownership in boost for US game
PARIS :France captain Antoine Dupont, widely regarded as the best rugby player of his generation, has taken an ownership stake in Rugby Football Club Los Angeles, the Major League Rugby franchise said on Thursday. The 28-year-old scrumhalf joins RFCLA's ownership group alongside his company, Ouest Coast. The move marks a significant milestone for rugby in the United States ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and before the men's and women's Rugby World Cups in 2031 and 2033 respectively. Dupont, who has been named World Rugby Player of the Year and captained club and country to major titles in 15-a-side and sevens competitions, said he was drawn by the opportunity to help grow the sport's profile in the U.S. "Rugby is more than just a sport; it's a community with strong values," Dupont said in a statement. "I'm excited by the opportunity to grow rugby's popularity in the States and establish an energetic hub of rugby culture that attracts players, fans, teams, and partners from around the world." The move is a coup for RFCLA, currently in its second season in MLR, a fast-growing league founded in 2017 as the first professional rugby competition in North America. The franchise sees Dupont's involvement as a catalyst for its ambitions in high-performance rugby and commercial development. "We feel very privileged that Antoine has chosen RFCLA as the pathway to inspire new rugby players and fans," said RFCLA CEO Pete Sickle.
