France, led by the extraordinary Antoine Dupont, achieved a historic 28-7 win over two-time Olympic champions Fiji in the men’s rugby sevens gold medal match at the 2024 Summer Olympics. This victory, which took place on Saturday, July 27, at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, marks the host nation’s first gold medal of the Paris Games.
Dupont, widely regarded as the best player in 15-a-side rugby, emerged from the bench to deliver a stunning second-half performance. He scored twice and assisted another try, leading to Fiji’s first-ever Olympic defeat.
Fiji started strong, with Joseva Talacolo scoring a try under the posts within the first minute. However, France quickly responded with Jefferson-Lee Joseph scoring after receiving a timely pass from Andy Timo.
French coach Jérôme Daret had again placed Dupont on the bench, as he had throughout the tournament. Dupont’s entry at half-time, with the scores level, immediately changed the game. He made a break down the wing and outpaced Fijian legend Jerry Tuwai, setting up Aaron Grandidier Nkanang for a try. Dupont then scored himself by taking a quick tap penalty and darting under the posts. He sealed the win with another try after the final buzzer, thrilling the home crowd, including President Emmanuel Macron.
Dupont’s decision to skip this season’s Six Nations to focus on Olympic gold in sevens rugby proved to be a decisive and rewarding gamble.
Earlier on Saturday, South Africa secured the bronze medal with a 26-19 victory over Australia.
Rugby sevens, which made its Olympic debut at the 2016 Rio Games, has been hailed by World Rugby executives as having reached a significant milestone at the Paris Olympics. They expect up to 550,000 fans to attend the eight sessions of both the men’s and women’s tournaments at the Stade de France.
The women’s rugby sevens event begins on Sunday, with Australia and New Zealand considered the top contenders.