A pool phase defeat against the same opponents on the opening day had left Les Bleus at risk of missing out on the main HSBC SVNS Series next season – but they recovered to launch a charge that ended with a large crowd at Stade Atlantique celebrating as their homegrown heroes raised the trophy at the end of an intense final.
France’s victorious captain Paulin Riva said afterwards: “This championship is very difficult with a lot of big teams like South Africa. [But] we want to be here and we would like to be present.
“Obviously I’m one of the older players [on the squad]. We’re rebuilding the squad, we want to grow every year until the Olympic Games. I think this is the way – it’s been amazing.”
“We work hard every time, every tournament – and tonight it was an amazing game against a big New Zealand team.”
Spain slightly spoiled South Africa’s HSBC SVNS World Championship party by coming from behind to take the third-place play-off 40-14. But, after 37 wins and five tournament titles on the series, there’s no denying the Blitzboks are thoroughly deserving overall champions.
The drama in Bordeaux was not confined to the upper echelons, as USA’s remarkable run to fifth place was enough for them to deny Kenya and claim a spot on next season’s main HSBC SVNS Series, with Great Britain dropping from the main tour to HSBC SVNS 2.
The teams competing on the HSBC SVNS main stage next season will be: South Africa, New Zealand, Spain, Australia, Argentina, Fiji, France and USA.
Final: Les Bleus raise Bordeaux roof
France shook off an early stumble in Bordeaux to claim the title with an intense 14-5 win over New Zealand in the final in front of a passionate and partisan crowd at Stade Atlantique to claim their first sevens title since winning Olympic gold in Paris in 2024.
The party in the stands had already started when Olympic champion Rayan Rebbadj got on the end of a Paris old-firm move involving 2024 team-mates Paulin Riva and Antoine Zeghdar to take France into an early lead.
In a hard-fought final from first to last whistle, the All Blacks Sevens cut the host nations lead shortly before the break when Jayden Keelan skipped in and out, then out and in to score, with Celian Pouzelgues on the sidelines serving out a two-minute yellow card.
But player-of-the-final Pouzelgues would have the final word on his return. He had one try ruled out on TMO review for a knock on, but would not be denied a minute from time, as he darted through New Zealand’s flagging defence for the decisive try – and sent the already loud crowd wild.
The decibel-level had jumped several notches earlier, as France ended World Champions South Africa’s run with a 21-12 win in an equally intense semi-final.
Last year’s SVNS Rookie of the Year Enahemo Artaud opened the scoring in the first-half, only for Tristan Leyds to score the try that levelled the scores shortly before the break.
The second-half was all-attitude, all-France. Rayan Rebbadj and Antoine Zeghdar scored as Les Bleus broke away, meaning Donavan Don’s late score was only going to be a consolation.
“It’s amazing. It has been a long time since we had a tournament in France and we really feel the crowd, who is pushing for us,” Zeghdar told RugbyPass in Bordeaux.
“We want to do good things in the final and are going to have a good recovery, as we prepare as well as possible for the final.”
In the other semi-final, Akuila Rokolisoa crossed 1,000 points in international sevens, and Jayden Keelan ran in two tries as the All Blacks Sevens followed their Black Ferns Sevens counterparts into the finals in Bordeaux, beating Spain 24-12 in a physical and high-pace last-four meeting to set up a second match against Les Bleus in three days at Stade Atlantique.
Play-offs: Spain stun Blitzboks as USA claim historic fifth and Moneta marks 200
A Spanish comeback stunned World Champions South Africa in the third-place play-off to take some of the shine off their HSBC SVNS overall title on Sunday in Bordeaux.
Juan Ramos scored twice and Francisco Cosculluela, Josep Serres, Pol Pla and Angel Bozal all got on the scoreboard for Spain after Shilton van Wyk and Ricardo Duarttee had got the Blitzboks off to a lightning start to claim bronze with a 40-14 victory.
Lucas Lacamp dived over in the corner with the clock in the red at the end of the second half to seal an astonishing late fightback against Fiji – a side they have not beaten since 2017 – and claim fifth place in Bordeaux, and the eighth and final place in next season’s main HSBC SVNS Series.
Two first-half tries from Viwa Naduvalo looked good enough to have won it for Fiji – but tries in the 12th minute for David Still, in the 13th for Will Chevalier, and Lacamp’s 15th-minute touchdown completed a remarkable turnaround to win 17-14.
Australia shook off the disappointment of missing out on a chance to repeat their title success in Valladolid with a flourish of a finish in Bordeaux. Ben Dalton scored two of their five tries as they beat a never-say-die Great Britain 31-0.
Argentina’s Marcos Moneta started the day on 199 international sevens tries. Within four minutes of his side’s 47-19 win over Germany, he had 202, as he recorded his 10th career hat-trick.
Kenya did everything they could to ensure an eighth-place finish and main HSBC SVNS Series rugby next season with an athletic, off-loading 24-7 win over Uruguay to claim 11th and two league points. But their efforts were in vain, as USA claimed fifth in dramatic fashion to leapfrog the African side in the standings.