The France rugby sevens team secured the gold medal at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar by defeating South Africa 26–19 in the final at Stade Iba Mar Diop, rfi.fr reported. Captained by Pablo Garbajosa, the French squad built a 21–5 lead in the first half before holding off a late South African surge to claim the tournament title on November 2, 2026.
France Seizes Gold After Sustaining Late South African Comeback
The final matched the dominant form France displayed throughout the tournament in Senegal. After racing out to a commanding 21–5 advantage through the opening stanza, the Bleuets watched their lead shrink as South Africa clawed back to within two points. Captain Pablo Garbajosa acknowledged the tense finish after the final whistle. “A final without fear is nothing,” Garbajosa said. “We scared ourselves, but at the end we let loose. We won, so it’s huge, I’m happy.”
A day in Dakar, but make it Olympic 🥇🇸🇳… And the Youth Olympic Games start in 3 DAYS! Let's go! 🦁#Olympics #YouthOlympics #Dakar2026 pic.twitter.com/w7hItfIlwZ
Dominant Pool Play Precedes Hard-Fought Medal Round
En route to the gold-medal match, the French side swept through their early fixtures without conceding a point. Rfi.fr reported that France routed Uganda 58–0, dismantled Japan 48–0, and shut out Canada 58–0 in the semifinals.
Olympic Champions Shape the Mentality of a New Generation
Weeks before the Dakar Games opened, members of the senior French rugby sevens squad that won gold at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games met with the youth team to share their experiences. Paulin Arriva, captain of the senior sevens side, alongside teammate Stephen Parez, and Jérôme Daret, emphasized mental resilience over tactical drills. Mateo Tambo Fanchot described the impact of those mentoring sessions. “The sevens is a very mental sport, you must never give up,” Tambo Fanchot said. “What we retained is the mentality they instilled in us: to be like lycaons, to never give up and to be all united.” Sacha Leroy echoed those sentiments, noting that the victory stemmed from hard work, unity, and absorbing the lessons left by their senior predecessors.
A Rich Family Lineage in French Rugby Carries On
The squad’s roster featured four players whose fathers carved out distinguished professional careers in French rugby. Captain Pablo Garbajosa is the son of Xavier Garbajosa, who won a runner-up medal at the 1999 Rugby World Cup. Jules Vermeulen follows in the footsteps of his father Elvis Vermeulen, a former Clermont forward who won the Six Nations Championship in 2007. Gaspard and Simon complete the familial ties as the sons of former internationals Julien and Nicolas respectively. Before taking the pitch for the gold-medal match, Pablo Garbajosa reached out to his family. “I sent a little message to my dad just before, I told him I loved him, and to my mum, to my brother too,” Garbajosa said. “They sent me lots of positive vibes.” Nathanael Senga Koua reflected on the camaraderie within the group after the victory, describing the squad as a tight-knit band of close friends.
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