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Australian great talks up Antoine Dupont blueprint as he backs young gun for Olympic glory

Rugby has landed itself a spot in the Olympics over the past decade and Antoine Dupont jumped over to the 7s to claim gold in Paris - with Australia's Max Jorgensen talked up as a player who could emulate that achievement

[France icon Antoine Dupont helped his country win an Olympic gold after switching to play 7s]

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France icon Antoine Dupont helped his country win an Olympic gold after switching to play 7s

Australia great Michael Hooper has urged Max Jorgensen to study the path that took Antoine Dupont to Olympic 7s glory if he wants to follow in his footsteps when the games comes around in two years.

Australia's second largest city will follow in Sydney's footsteps when it hosts the Olympics in 2032, but before that it heads to Los Angeles and the prospect for rugby stars to take centre stage now exists with the 7s.

It was first introduced to the games in 2016 and at the most recent games in Paris, Dupont, the world's best player in the 15s game, took months out to prepare in an effort to guide his country to the gold medal. He lit up the final, further cementing his legacy as one of the best to ever play the game.

Individuals crossing between the 15s game and 7s is becoming more and more common and Jorgensen, who has just signed a five-year deal to remain in Australia, is among the country's greatest talents with his skillset lending itself to excelling in both games.

The fullback himself said an appearance at the Olympics is something he'd consider when the time comes, stating "it is not off the table" and Hooper sees Dupont as the perfect example to follow.

Speaking as a HSBC ambassador, he told Mirror Sport: "Jorgo would only be 26 or 27, which must be similar to Dupont, which is a really good age. What I'd say to Max, who is an incredible talent and player, is to give him a proper run and look at someone like Dupont. Both exceptional skillsets, but have a good crack at it, don't just expect to turn up, the ball moves differently in 7s. Dupont gave himself a few tournaments to really get that right and they hit the maximum, so Max should look at that if he's going to give it a crack."

Jorgensen, still only 21, is one of Australia's leading lights. In 2024 he scored a last minute try to down England at Twickenham and has since enjoyed sensational individual moments against the British and Irish Lions and France.

[Max Jorgensen is one of the finest players in Australia and could entertain an Olympic appearance]

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Max Jorgensen is one of the finest players in Australia and could entertain an Olympic appearance

The Waratahs star is by no means basking in the profile like some of his compatriots that came before him, the likes of Israel Folau, with Hooper admitting that Jorgensen will only get global recognition with success on the pitch.

"I think Max will, he's been on the scene for no amount of time, I think it takes a body of work," said Hooper. "Max has burst onto the scene, he's scoring some phenomenal tries and if he does it for one or two more years I've no doubt he's in that category.

"I think it also comes with that notoriety of winning tournaments. We had a little bit of success, we get to a World Cup final in 2015, win (Super Rugby) with the Waratahs in 2014."

If that winning is to include an Olympic gold in six years then Hooper himself knows just how challenging, and different, the 7s game and the 15s game are. The former flanker made 125 Australia appearances, more than anyone as captain, and chose to make the transition late in his career.

He had the Paris games on his radar, but ultimately missed out on the final squad. Injuries weren't kind to him and the switch was certainly a culture shock. "I probably didn't have that appreciation, you know the saying you can only connect the dots looking backwards. Like I was a fit 15s player, had a good engine, but the demand on the body and at 32, was significant," he admitted.

[Michael Hooper was speaking at the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens where he appeared as an HSBC Brand Ambassador around the Lets SVNS This City campaign]

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Michael Hooper was speaking at the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens where he appeared as an HSBC Brand Ambassador around the Lets SVNS This City campaign

"I didn't appreciate the type of nick I needed to be in to be a fit 7s player. It was a steep learning curve and there was only three tournaments to try and get right and have a shot at the Olympics in Paris. It didn't work out, but I loved the challenge with where I was at in my career."

Now retired, Hooper was in Hong Kong for the 7s tournament at the weekend, with the event celebrating his 50th year. It remains a staple on the rugby calendar and has been the birth place for a number of stars. Its party atmosphere makes it a huge social event with the sport the talk of the town.

"There's just a buzz around town," said Hooper. "A real buzz in terms of what HSBC brings in during the week, but you start a conversation and it ends with rugby. Whether thats the state of the game in the world, the international landscape with the World Cup next year.

Quizzed on what makes it such a hit the Aussie added: "Geographically, it seems like its one flight for everyone. It is almost like the world can converge here pretty easily, then you have the history of Hong Kong and all that brings to it. History is tough to beat mate."

This year HSBC has introduced a new platform called Lets SVNS this city which will be showing up across all legs of the series. Lets SVNS this city, is a celebration of the network of cites that make up the international Series, a spotlight on the unique qualities of each event and the fans that attend.

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