RC Toulonnais 7s vs Bordeaux Begles 7s

Toulon's refusal to panic — for the second match running — was decisive. Having trailed by 12 points against La Rochelle with under four minutes left in the quarters, they demonstrated remarkable composure to stay within range of Bordeaux in the semis. Chantreau's try after the gong capped a run of 15 unanswered points across two knockout matches when Toulon’s season was on the line.

Dylan Chantreau — The match-winner in both knockout matches. His sudden-death drop goal beat La Rochelle, and his try after the hooter sank Bordeaux. Player of the match by default.

Joé Quere-Karaba — A physical presence in the carry, providing the platform for Toulon's second-half fightback. The young forward was central to the tactical shift after the interval.

Apete Narogo — His pace on the edge stretched Bordeaux's defence and created space for Chantreau's late heroics.

Bordeaux Begles — The defending champions will rue their failure to close out the game. After controlling the first half, they could not land the knockout blow and struggled to contain Toulon’s growing momentum as the match wore on.

The 15-12 scoreline reflects a game of fine margins in sevens, where a single-score difference is the norm in knockout rugby. Bordeaux's first-half lead suggested territorial and possession dominance, but Toulon's ability to absorb pressure and strike when it mattered — a pattern repeated from the quarter-final — tells the story of a side growing in confidence under pressure. The three-try-to-two try count (assuming 5pts per try + conversion structure in SuperSevens) underlines how tight the contest was.

Toulon advanced to the final later that evening, where they faced Monaco Rugby 7s — the eventual winners — and fell to a 21-12 defeat. Monaco secured the Biarritz leg and a guaranteed spot in the grand final at Nanterre’s Paris La Défense Arena on 6-7 February 2027.

Stade Toulousain won the third-place playoff 27-10 against Bordeaux Begles. The second and final summer leg of the 2026 SuperSevens takes place at Stade du Hameau in Pau on 28-29 August, followed by the grand final in February 2027, where the six best teams across the cumulative standings will compete.

Toulon's sevens side showed resilience far beyond their experience level, coming from behind in back-to-back knockout matches to reach the final. Chantreau's two late interventions across the quarter and semi-finals made him the story of the day, even if Monaco ultimately proved too strong in the decider.