This year’s Six Nations will kick off with France, the reigning champions, taking on Ireland, and all eyes are set to be on French captain Antoine Dupont for more reasons than one. Not only is the French skipper expected to be a key player on the pitch, but there’s also likely to be interest in a certain spectator in the stands as the tournament gets underway.
This comes after Dupont confirmed his relationship with French model and former Miss Universe Iris Mittenaere. The spotlight will be on Paris as two title contenders clash in the opening match of the tournament. Mittenaere, who hails from Lille, is a well-known French social media star.
Known for sharing content with her 3.4 million Instagram followers, one particular post promoting lingerie brand Intimissimi left little to the imagination.
It became clear in mid-2025 that the rugby star had embarked on a new romance. Since then, he and Mittenaere have been seen together at various events, including a Serie A match between Como and Lazio, as well as the Cannes Film Festival.
At 29, if Dupont is the king of France’s No. 9, it seems he has found his queen in the perfect 10, Mittenaere.
She first stepped into the spotlight in 2015, winning regional beauty pageants before being crowned Miss France 2016 and later that year, becoming the country’s second Miss Universe champion.
Since then, she has carved out a successful secondary career in television presenting and hosting. Mittenaere has fronted French versions of Ninja Warrior and Dancing With The Stars, as well as presenting the EuroMillions draw. She has an estimated net worth of £13million.
The list of brands she has represented includes French heavyweights such as Jean Paul Gaultier, Yves Saint-Laurent and L’Oreal, among many others.
In addition to modelling for renowned labels, Mittenaere has launched her own fitness clothing brand named Imii.
Over the next six weeks, Dupont and France are working to retain their Six Nations title. Les Bleus ended a three-year wait for the championship last year, bringing Ireland’s supremacy to a close after back-to-back victories.
The two nations that have recently dominated the tournament will open this year’s competition in Paris. The fixture has been moved to an unprecedented Thursday evening kick-off to avoid clashing with Friday’s Winter Olympics opening ceremony.
Dupont has struggled with fitness concerns recently and sat out the 2024 tournament while preparing for the Paris 2024 Olympics.