Bordeaux Begles 7s vs French Barbarians 7s

With the clock ticking into additional minutes, Paulin Riva — the French Olympic champion from Paris 2024 who suited up for UBB Sevens at this stage — produced the game-breaking moment. Riva powered over for a try to separate the sides at 12-7, a scoreline that held until the final whistle.

Riva’s arrival in the Bordeaux lineup was one of the talking points of the Pau stage. As reported by Rugbyrama, the Olympic gold medalist had been confirmed in the UBB squad ahead of the tournament and wasted no time making his presence felt in crunch moments.

Paulin Riva (Bordeaux Begles 7s) — Player of the Match: The Olympic champion’s experience in high-pressure sevens situations showed in extra time. His match-winning try was the difference between two points and one.

Malo Hannoyer (Bordeaux Begles 7s): The young talent had a strong game in the midfield channels and was later named revelation of the tournament at the grand final stage, according to UBB’s official site.

Bordeaux’s defensive unit: Holding the Barbarians to 7 points across regulation and extra time represented a disciplined performance, particularly given the Barbarians’ pedigree as a three-time tournament winner.

The 12-7 scoreline reflects a game defined by defensive organisation rather than attacking fluency. With only 19 combined points across both the regular and extra periods, the contest produced the second-lowest scoring total of the Pool B matches on the day — Racing 92’s 17-10 win over Perpignan showed higher-scoring was possible on the same pitch. The closeness mirrors the head-to-head record, which has seen all five meetings decided by margins of no more than 14 points since 2022.

Bordeaux’s ability to win while conceding only one converted try reinforced their status as defending French champions and kept them on course for a top-eight qualification spot.

Bordeaux Begles 7s moved to the top of Pool B with the win, ahead of their other group match against Racing 92 Sevens later on day one in Pau. The French Barbarians faced USA Perpignan in their second pool fixture, needing a win to keep their qualification hopes alive.

The Supersevens’ second stage in Pau (28–29 August) is the final qualification opportunity before the grand final. Only the top eight teams across both qualifying stages (Biarritz and Pau) progress to La Défense Arena for the title decider. Bordeaux entered the weekend sitting in the top eight after their Biarritz performances; the Barbarians needed results in Pau to climb into contention.

Bordeaux’s next fixture was their Pool B clash against Racing 92 Sevens later on 28 August. The Barbarians’ next match was against USA Perpignan Sevens on the same day.

A typical Supersevens group-stage scrap that swung on one moment of individual class. Riva’s pedigree told when it mattered most. Bordeaux’s title defence is alive and well; the Barbarians will regret letting a well-organised contest slip into extra time.