South Africa and France Storm Unbeaten Into Youth Olympics Sevens Semi-Finals

South Africa and France are both one win away from the rugby sevens gold medal match at the Dakar 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games after flying through the pool stage unbeaten. The two sides each scored more than 100 points on day one of the men's tournament at CID Stadium, setting up a fascinating semi-final line-up. Seventeen-year-old Dandre Brink starred for South Africa with five tries on day one, as his side recorded high-scoring wins over Senegal, Canada and Germany. South Africa beat Senegal 43-5, edged Canada 24-17 and finished with a 34-7 win over Germany. France, meanwhile, topped Pool B with emphatic results against Japan, Uganda and Argentina, including a 48-0 win over Japan and a 58-0 victory over Uganda, before beating Argentina 24-7. The semi-finals are now set, with South Africa facing Argentina in the first match on Monday and France then taking on Canada, who also survived a thrilling 17-10 win over Germany to reach the last four. With two unbeaten sides in the field, the race for sevens gold in Dakar promises a dramatic finish.