France were crowned men's rugby sevens champions after defeating South Africa 26-19 in an entertaining gold medal match at the Complexe Iba Mar Diop on Monday.
The French side produced a strong performance, with family rugby connections playing a significant role in their victory. Cousins Gaspard Laharrague and Simon Laharrague accounted for three of France's four tries, continuing a family tradition in French rugby.
France captain Pablo Garbajosa also celebrated the achievement as a special family moment, revealing that he had sent a message of love to his father, former France international and 1999 Rugby World Cup runner-up Xavier Garbajosa, shortly before the final.
South Africa mounted a late challenge, scoring twice after a lengthy injury stoppage, but France held firm to secure the gold medal.
Despite the defeat, South African captain Corne Ferreira praised his teammates' determination and fighting spirit, insisting the team never gave up.
Argentina secured the men's bronze medal after Federico Anderson scored a hat-trick in a convincing 36-5 victory over Canada.
African nations make their mark
Africa also delivered an impressive performance in the women's competition, with Kenya and Madagascar emerging as two of the standout teams.
Both nations recorded two victories from their opening two matches to advance to the semi-finals, alongside Australia and Czechia.
Kenya head coach Knight Otwoma praised her players for overcoming their initial nervousness against China, while Madagascar coach Dina Manandraibe highlighted the importance of representing her country and demonstrating the growing strength of women's rugby.
Manandraibe described the team's participation as an opportunity to challenge gender inequality and inspire more girls in Madagascar to embrace the sport.
Medal decisions ahead
The rugby sevens competition concludes on Tuesday, with the final pool matches determining the semi-final matchups before the bronze and gold medal contests.
With Kenya and Madagascar already through to the last four, African supporters will be watching closely as both nations continue their pursuit of a historic podium finish at Dakar 2026.
