South Africa wins men's rugby sevens world title in Bordeaux

The South African men's rugby sevens team successfully defended its World Championship title on Saturday, securing the crown by reaching the semifinals of the season-ending tournament in Bordeaux, France. The achievement capped a dominant season for the Blitzboks, who had already won the World Series title earlier in the year.

South Africa clinched the championship with a come-from-behind 14-12 victory over Fiji in a tense quarterfinal match at Stade Atlantique. The win became decisive after their closest rivals for the championship, Argentina, failed to reach the quarterfinals, and other contenders Australia and Fiji were eliminated in the last eight. Captain Impi Visser praised his team's hard work and the support staff following the match.

The Blitzboks' tournament run, however, ended on Sunday with a 21-12 semifinal loss to the host nation, France. They then fell 40-14 to Spain in the third-place playoff. France went on to win its home tournament for the first time in 21 years, defeating New Zealand 14-5 in the final. The French victory avenged a pool-stage loss to New Zealand from earlier in the weekend.

In the women's competition, Australia claimed the world championship by...