Antoine Dupont is set to ink a monumental contract extension with Toulouse, but with a twist that will have rugby fans buzzing. The star player, currently sidelined due to a nasty injury, is poised to extend his stay with the club until 2031 or 2032, according to reports. This means Dupont, who joined Toulouse from Castres in 2017, will be contracted beyond his 35th birthday. But here's where it gets controversial: the contract includes a clause allowing Dupont to explore opportunities abroad or take on "another challenge."
This opens up the possibility of Dupont signing for another club for a season or pursuing a similar challenge to his 2024 gold medal win with the France sevens team at the Paris Olympics. Earlier this year, Dupont and his company, Ouest Coast, became part owners of the USA Major League Rugby team, the Rugby Football Club Los Angeles (RFCLA). In theory, Dupont could activate the clause to represent the club he has invested in. However, this would be a groundbreaking move, as it would be the first time a top-flight tier one player joins the competition during their prime.
Dupont's stance on the salary cap has also sparked debate. He has gone to war with the governing body of the French leagues, the LNR, over the salary cap, which is currently set at €10.7 million per Top 14 club for the 2025/26 season. Dupont believes that individual commercial partnerships should not be included in the cap calculations. He argues that the situation has changed from four or five years ago, when clubs had fewer sponsorship deals. "Today, it’s becoming a problem for most of the players in the French team... because we already know we’re restricted by this salary cap," he said. "We find ourselves in a growing rugby economy thanks to us, the players in the middle. And in the end we don’t benefit from it because salaries are stagnating or even falling, and we can’t use our image. It’s starting to be too much."
What do you think? Is Dupont's stance on the salary cap justified? Or is there another interpretation? Let us know in the comments below!
