The GOAT debate. One for down the pub or dark, dingy nights doom scrolling on social media. Oh boy, has it been in full flow these past 48 hours.

Antoine Dupont guided France to their first gold medal of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games when they beat Fiji 28-7 in the rugby sevens men’s final. Dupont scored two tries and assisted another. He was the best player on the pitch and is the best rugby player in the world right now. We’re confident enough to go out on a limb and say that. But as the final whistle sounded, did the debate begin. Is Antoine Dupont the greatest of all time?

On one side, those placing Dupont’s names in lights. Claiming that there has never been a player quite as complete as the French number 9. A player as fast as a winger, strong as a back rower and smart as fly-half, controlling games like a puppeteer from scrum-half. Somebody who won the Top 14, Champions Cup and after just six months of playing a new sport, has also become an Olympic gold medalist. 

Paris 2024 Men’s Rugby Sevens – Gold Medal Match
France vs Fiji. Antoine Dupont offloads to Aaron Grandidier Nkanang who scores a try.
(Credit ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan)

Friend of the magazine, Squidge Rugby, put out a simple post calling the Frenchman ‘The greatest rugby player of all time.’ A fair comment considering what Dupont has achieved both in the last few months and through his career. France were not gold medal contenders for rugby sevens 12 months ago. Dupont joined the squad and they won both the HSBC SVNS Series and Olympic gold. It’s no coincidence. He is changing the game. 

And then came the response. There were some claiming that Dupont isn’t even the best rugby player in the world at present time while others insisted that he is not even the best scrum-half of his generation – that accolade belonging to New Zealand’s Aaron Smith. Both arguable statements I’d indulge over a pint. 

Then you had the odd South African fan who swore by the fact that Ruan Pienaaer had more talent in his left boot than Dupont had through his whole being. That, less hard to get on board with.

Genuinely, at points, it felt like we were one step away from the claim that if we could cryogenically de-age Gareth Edwards back to 1973, he would make Dupont look like he should be playing merit league amateur rugby. 

Related: Watch all the Olympic Sevens action here

The arguments were visceral bordering on absurd and for those, like me, who love to lurk in the shadows of social media, witnessing these eruptions of debate rear their head every now and then, it made for an amusing evening of entertainment to supplement the Olympic surfing in Tahiti. 

Let’s be real for a moment. Ultimately, the GOAT debate is a bit silly because if there is any debate to be had, then it kind of proves that there is no GOAT.  There are a few sports where the debate does not exist. For example, men’s road cycling. Ask anyone who the greatest of all time is and they will tell you that it is Eddy Merckx. Likewise with hockey, it is only ever Wayne Gretzky’s name uttered.

In rugby, nobody has paved such daylight to the rest but that’s fine, it’s absolutely fine. People can claim Dupont is the greatest of all time and others can say it is someone else. If you think it’s Jonny Wilkinson or Portia Woodman-Wickliffe or Dan Carter, more life to you. It’s a great yarn to have after a few beers, keep it up. 

Antoine Dupont scores a try at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (Getty Images/Ryan Pierse)

What we all need to in moments like these, though, is ensure we do it not push down with this debate but lift up. 

After Dupont took centre stage at the world’s biggest sporting event on Saturday, what we should all have been doing is placing the pocket rocket Frenchman on a lofty pedestal that sits far higher than the four walls of our sport. Putting him out there for all to see and singing his names from the Parisian rooftops. 

Related: Watch all the Olympic Sevens action here

Dupont captured the attention of the world on Saturday night with an audience far beyond rugby, one that if we can charm, can futureproof this sport for generations to come. When these moments happen, we need to harness its power to celebrate why rugby is such a brilliant sport to grow our game, not use it as an opportunity to claptrap anybody who has a differing opinion to you. 

Come together and agree that Dupont is a generational talent for this sport and a great reason why you should watch rugby. And if you think there is someone better than Dupont, show us how fantastic this other person is.  Let’s use it as a moment of celebration, not degradation. I’m not sure the sport can afford the latter longterm. 

And anyway, we all know who the greatest rugby player of all time is – Rupeni Caucaunibuca.