ReportBlitzboksSuperSport Rugby7 Jun

France end Blitzboks' Bordeaux semifinal run as world champions

The Blitzboks lost 21-12 to hosts France in the Bordeaux Sevens semifinal on Sunday, setting up a third-place playoff against Spain — though the World Series title had already been clinched the previous day.

The Blitzboks' bid for a Bordeaux Sevens title ended in a 21-12 semifinal defeat to hosts France on Sunday, with Tristan Lleyds, Donavan Don and Impi Visser among the standout performers in a game that ultimately slipped away at key moments.

France scored early through Enahemo Artaud, but the Blitzboks levelled when Lleyds finished a length-of-the-field effort after a sharp offload from Visser. Two tries in two minutes just after the break — from Rayan Rebbadj and Antoine Zeghdar — gave France the cushion they needed, and although Don crossed late, the deficit proved too large.

The defeat comes a day after the Blitzboks had already secured the World Series Championship title, France's quarterfinal win over Australia on Saturday having mathematically confirmed the South African triumph. The Blitzboks now meet Spain in the third-place playoff at 16h32, while France face New Zealand in the final.

Sources

SuperSport Rugbyhttps://supersport.com/rugby/news/35b96872-a5eb-4044-86a0-c995ea493e29/out-in-the-semis-france-end-blitzboks-bordeaux-run

Tagged

Springboks lead World Rugby rankings by 3.61 points ahead of Nations Championship

South Africa top the World Rugby rankings on 93.94 points, 3.61 clear of New Zealand, as the Springboks head into the inaugural Nations Championship. World Rugby has also confirmed the removal of home weighting from the rankings system from 1 July 2026.

ReportBlitzboks

Bordeaux finale: Blitzboks one final away from World Championship glory, SA Women fighting to avoid SVNS2

The Blitzboks enter the Bordeaux SVNS World Championship finale as four-point leaders, needing a final appearance to seal the title, while the Springbok Women face a tough survival battle in 10th place and Kenya are on the cusp of confirming their core series status.

ReportGeneral

Rankings permutations: How Scotland could reach a new high and what South Africa must avoid

World Rugby's Round Two ranking permutations show South Africa's top spot is safe barring a 15-point loss to Scotland, while a Springbok defeat combined with an All Blacks win over Italy would hand New Zealand first place. Scotland could reach a new high of fourth with a win in Pretoria and a France loss in Brisbane.

AnalysisSpringboks

Nations Championship Round 2: Borthwick on the brink as France eye full strength return

Rich identifies Borthwick, Galthié, and Schmidt as the coaches under real heat in Round 2, while Erasmus has the luxury of managing his squad after last week's comprehensive win. The piece also flags Scotland at Loftus as a meaningful preview of what the All Blacks will attempt in next month's Greatest Rivalry Series.

ReportSpringboks

Boks remain top but All Blacks close gap to 2.90 points after Nations Championship opener

South Africa stay top of the World Rugby Men's Rankings at 93.94 points but New Zealand have cut the gap to 2.90 after beating France, while Scotland climb to equal their all-time high of fifth following a record 47-38 win over Argentina in Córdoba.