Number one seeds South Africa and 2014 gold medallists France both kept cool heads in high temperatures in Senegal to claim a clean sweep of victories on an enthralling opening day of men’s rugby sevens at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar.

After finishing top of their respective pools, South Africa will meet 2018 Olympic champions Argentina in the first semi-final, while France will take on Canada in the second to decide who will face off for gold at Complexe Iba Mar Diop.

Germany, who finished third in Pool A behind South Africa and Canada, will face Uganda in the first of the placing play-off matches, while Pool B’s third-placed side Japan will play host nation Senegal.

Pool A: Unbeaten South Africa race to the semi-finals

South Africa won all three of their matches on the opening day of the men’s rugby sevens to qualify for Sunday’s medal play-offs, ahead of Canada, Germany and host nation Senegal.

Werner de Bruin got them off to the perfect start against Senegal, scoring out wide with just 30 seconds on the clock to set the tone for a match - the day's first - that they controlled from first whistle to last. It was the first of the number one seeds’ four first-half touchdowns en route to a seven-try 43-5 victory. 

But the biggest cheer of the match came when Senegal hit back with a high-class score of their own, scored by Elhadj Mbengue, early in the second half.

A brace for Darnell Delport then helped South Africa beat fellow medal-match qualifiers Canada in their second outing of the day, as they came back from 7-12 down at the break of a hard-fought encounter to win 24-17. 

Jonas Van Gilst’s 90m solo effort was the scoring highlight as Canada scored three tries to Germany’s two to win a hotly contested match 17-10, and claim three vital pool points, to their opponents one. Their Opening Ceremony flag bearer Adam Burnett then opened the scoring, and Will North weighed-in with a double in their final outing of the day as Canada put one foot in the medal semi-finals with a 40-0 win over hosts Senegal. 

Germany’s 31-12 win over Senegal in their second outing of the day, however, meant they still had a chance to overtake Canada in the Pool A standings, if they could beat South Africa by more than seven points in their final pool match. But Jake Dave and Dandre Brink each scored two for the favourites as they 34-7 to complete a clean sweep of Pool A victories and ensure Canada joined them in the semi-final games on day two in Dakar.

Pool B: Pool perfect France claim top spot

Rugby sevens’ two previous Youth Olympic Games’ gold medalists, France and Argentina, had already qualified for the men’s semi-finals when they met in the last match of the opening day – a re-run of the 2018 Youth Olympic Games final.

Federico Kantz had opened the scoring for Argentina, becoming the first player to cross the French whitewash all day. But, after Gaspard Laharrague had reduced the lead with a try shortly before the break, Les Bleuets stretched away in the second half. 

Nathanael Senga Kouo, Pablo Garbajosa, and Matt Lefeuvre all scored as they eased to a clear 24-7 victory that ensured they finished top of Pool B.

France - who won gold in 2014 and silver in 2018 - had been in a relentless mood all day. They scored eight unanswered tries to lay down a Pool B marker against Japan in their first match. Matt Lefeuvre scored twice as they recorded a statement 48-0 win over the bronze winners in Buenos Aires.

Then Sacha Leroy and Doryan Petitgenet both scored hat-tricks in an exhibition of attacking French rugby against a Uganda side that never gave up the chase, despite conceding 10 tries in a 58-0 defeat.

Argentina, meanwhile, had kicked off their challenge with a 49-0 win over late tournament entrants Uganda. A straight-up-the-middle 85m effort from Federico Kantz and try doubles for Santiago Martos Rodriguez and Felipe Ledesma were the high points of a thoroughly impressive performance.

Then, Gonzalo Cairo scored three of Argentina’s five tries as they set up that blockbuster Pool B decider against France with a 31-5 win over Japan – who went on to round out their first day’s action on a positive note with a 41-7 win over a brave and determined Uganda side.

Watch all Rugby Sevens matches from the Dakar 2026 Summer Youth Olympic live and free here