Overview
- L’Équipe details multi-year image-rights contracts with club partner 3S-Alyzia, reporting little visible use of player images despite payments exceeding €1.5m to Antoine Dupont and €170,000 to Anthony Jelonch.
- The investigation also alleges that sums tied to Dupont’s ambassador role with sponsor Fiducial were not declared within the Top 14 salary cap.
- Top 14 rules require certain partner and ambassador payments to be included in the cap, and L’Équipe notes that classifying remuneration as image rights can change tax and social charges.
- Reports cite a potential cap overrun of about £240,000 that could lead to further points deductions, though French rugby authorities have not opened a formal investigation.
- Dupont’s lawyer says documents show his image was legitimately used and describes a sponsorship agreement, while Toulouse were previously docked two points and fined over separate financial irregularities linked to the 2022 Melvyn Jaminet transfer.