He’s a little tired, Antoine Dupont. And he admits it with all the humility and frankness that characterize him. Coming to “coach” handpicked railway workers this Friday, June 23, at the company’s premises behind Montparnasse station, the best rugby player in the world, 26, confesses: “I haven’t done much of a full night since Saturday [finale du Top 14, où son club, le Stade toulousain, a battu in extremis le Stade rochelais]. We had to celebrate that. »
And then the holidays are approaching: the captain of the XV of France will leave for the sun before finding the players pre-selected to participate in the Rugby World Cup from July 2 in Monaco. But before his departure, he came to fulfill the obligations he accepted by becoming in March “ambassador of the SNCF and the railway workers”.
The company is well known to rugby players, since it is also an official sponsor of the world competition. And he loves the train: “To go to see matches, go on vacation or with the youth teams on the move, the SNCF is a component of my best memories. » The return trip from the match on Saturday, June 17 is obviously part of it.
“The Power of Concentration”
What does an ambassador bring to the company? First, he makes his CEO radiate happiness. Among the railway workers who took part in a competition – that of the best photo by team of five, mixing SNCF and rugby -, Jean-Pierre Farandou, an oval ball in his hands, bends to the game of selfies and confides: “My memories of rugby, including when I was a child, are very clear, very precise. It is undoubtedly the strength of concentration that is needed when you are the target of all the attacks but you want to move forward anyway. Rugby makes me happy right away. »
The second obligation is to lend your voice to the sound announcements. Antoine Dupont therefore goes to the operational center of Montparnasse to register those who will pass during the World Cup. It rather amuses him. He hums “Pa-daddy-paaam” and launches. And it also lends itself to the game of strolling on a green screen to be transformed… into a hologram that we may see in train stations. He will also soon see his image adorning the TGV engines.
The third duty is to pass on the secrets of his energy and mental strength to the railroad workers. Yet there is neither potion nor magic word. How does number 9 turn a game around? “I’m quite dependent on the eight in front of me”, he replies. What are the ingredients for collective success? “You need talent – you don’t make a racehorse out of a donkey – a good staff and you need a binder; that’s the hardest part, that guys want to surpass themselves for each other. » And then : “Work, work… and passion. »
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