France will enter the upcoming Nations Championship Tests without their captain, Antoine Dupont, who has withdrawn from the squad. Dupont was initially included among nine additional players added for France’s opening matches against New Zealand, Australia, and Japan. He will be replaced by his Toulouse teammate Paul Graou. The France Rugby Federation did not provide an official explanation for Dupont’s absence, but reports suggest he is managing a calf injury. Dupont participated in Saturday’s Top 14 final in Paris, where he briefly left the field due to injury before returning to help secure a 28-20 victory over Montpellier.

In related rugby news, Ireland’s Twenty20 head coach Heinrich Malan has announced his resignation following a successful series win against India. The South African coach, who was appointed in 2022, guided Ireland to a landmark victory over England during the 2022 T20 World Cup, recorded their first three Test match wins, and achieved Ireland’s inaugural series win against India last weekend with a 2-0 whitewash. Malan’s departure will see assistant coach Gary Wilson step up as head coach.

Wilson, a former Ireland player with 292 appearances between 2005 and 2020, rejoined the national team setup as an assistant coach in 2022. His appointment marks the first time an Irish-born head coach has led the team in more than three decades, a role last held by John Wills in the early 1990s.