France's Rugby Sevens Team Wins Bordeaux World Championship Stage

France's men's rugby sevens team secured a triumphant victory on home soil, defeating New Zealand 14-5 in the final stage of the World Championship in Bordeaux. This win marks a significant achievement for the team, especially after a challenging season where they finished eighth in Hong Kong and seventh in Valladolid, ultimately placing seventh overall in the season standings. However, the Bordeaux victory is their fourth on the World Sevens circuit and their first since winning Olympic gold at the Paris 2024 Games.

Despite the final-stage win, the French team could not overcome their earlier season performance to claim the overall world title, which was retained by South Africa. The French women's team also had a respectable showing, finishing fifth in the Bordeaux stage and fifth overall, though they were eliminated in the quarterfinals by the United States. Australia claimed the women's world title, defeating New Zealand in their final.

The event in Bordeaux was a resounding success for the French Rugby Federation (FFR), attracting 60,000 spectators over three days. FFR President Florian Grill expressed pride in the event's success, stating that the decision to host the tournament in Bordeaux, a globally recognized city, has fully paid off in re-establishing rugby sevens in France. The tournament was part of the HSBC SVNS series.

“

I am particularly proud of this success. We took the gamble of durably re-establishing rugby sevens in France by choosing Bordeaux, a city emblematic worldwide. This gamble has today been fully successful.