Rugby sevens teams prepare for 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar
Family ties and high-level pedigree will shape the rugby sevens competition at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, where the tournament gets underway following its pandemic-related postponement from 2022. Pool A features opening matches between Canada and Germany, alongside host nation Senegal and South Africa, while Pool B pairs reigning Buenos Aires 2018 gold medalists Argentina with France, Japan, and Uganda, according to svns.com reporting.
South Africa enters the tournament aiming for its first rugby sevens gold at an inaugural Olympic event on African soil. The squad brings notable experience through South Africa Schools ‘A’ players Werner de Bruin and Siphesihle Marule. Siphesihle lines up alongside his twin brother, Thubelihle Marule, under the direction of coach Sandile Ngcobo, a former Springbok Sevens player and coach. The team prepared for the Dakar games with an unbeaten run during a warm-up tournament at Paarl Gimnasium.
Argentina looks to defend the legacy of its 2018 gold-medal squad, which was led in Buenos Aires by senior sevens star Marcos Moneta. The 2026 side features Felipe Ledesma, the World Rugby Junior World Championship bronze-winning captain and Team of the Tournament player, who is taking his first steps in the sevens discipline.
The French squad arrives carrying several notable rugby surnames. Pablo Garbajosa is the son of former French international Xavier. Cousins Gaspard and Simon Laharrague are the sons of former senior Bleus Julien and Nicolas, respectively, while Jules Vermeulen is the son of 2007 Six Nations winner Elvis. All four players took part in the French under-18 rugby sevens team gathering and helped secure the 2026 European Championship title in Prague in July.
France coach Thomas Darracq expressed confidence in the group ahead of the tournament. “They possess the technical and tactical excellence, athletic qualities, and mental strength necessary to represent French rugby at the highest level,” Darracq said when the 12-player squad was unveiled, adding that the team travels to Dakar with the ambition of perpetuating the French Olympic legacy and aiming for the top.
The full match schedule is accessible via svns.com, and live, free broadcasts of all matches from the Dakar 2026 Summer Youth Olympic tournament are available for streaming directly on svns.com.
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