France is exploring options to accelerate Antoine Dupont’s recovery in time so that he can participate in the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals, according to reports.
In their dominant 96-0 victory over Namibia in their third Rugby World Cup match, Les Bleus’ skipper, Antoine Dupont, suffered a facial fracture.
Johan Deysel, the captain of Namibia, received a red card after making a head-on-head tackle with the scrum-half that stimulated criticism on social media.
As the availability of the French star for the rest of the tournament becomes uncertain, according to recent reports, additional steps are being taken to get him back in time for the quarterfinals.
Customized Mask in the Works
According to Midi Olympique, Antoine Dupont will consult a specialist to shape a mask that complies with World Rugby’s rules.
Unlike in football, Dupont will not be allowed to wear the plastic or carbon fiber facial guards, and any protective equipment must be constructed from cloth or strapping similar to the one worn by Imanol Harinordoquy during the 2010 Champions Cup semi-final.
Additionally, it can’t be more than 5mm thick when uncompressed.
According to World Rugby’s regulation 12.4 concerning prohibited clothing items, except for the specific clothing items listed in sections 1(a)-(f), 2, and 3, a player is not allowed to wear any clothing item that has any part thicker than 5mm when not compressed or is denser than 60 kilograms per cubic meter, unless it is explicitly permitted by Regulation 12 or Law 4.
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In the context of the overall thickness, it is specified that it comprises padded material tucked away beneath a fabric layer. In this configuration, the maximum allowable thickness for the combination of the uncompressed padding and the fabric is 5mm. Additionally, it is noted that the fabric itself can contribute a maximum measured thickness of 1mm on each side of the padding.
Midi Olympique received confirmation of this from Jean-Baptiste Grisoli, a former doctor for France Rugby.
“Yes, carbon fiber masks are prohibited, but you can request an exemption for other materials,” he said.
France is expected to face South Africa in the quarter-finals of the tournament unless there is an upset in the latter stages of Pool A or B.
The Springboks suffered a 13-8 defeat at the hands of Ireland on Saturday.
