France 'excitement' for Bordeaux finish as World Championship begins

France’s Men and Women have been confirmed for the HSBC SVNS World Championship event in Hong Kong this weekend.

In HSBC SVNS Series competition this season, France’s Women finished fourth overall after six tournaments. They enjoyed their best weekends in Cape Town and Perth, where Romain Huet’s side placed third.

The Women have been named in Pool C with the Series’ third-place team, theUSA Women’s Eagles Sevens, and alongside HSBC SVNS 2’s Argentina and Spain.

Romain Huet, France Women’s Sevens head coach, said: “We’re entering a new competition, very different from anything we’ve seen before. There will be three stages, and at the end of these three tournaments, a world champion title will be awarded, along with a system of promotion and relegation. Everything will therefore hinge on these three events. It’s a condensed, demanding format that represents a real new challenge.

“There’s a real awakening. Between Hong Kong, Valladolid, and a final at home in Bordeaux, there’s bound to be a lot of excitement. Up until now, we’ve played six warm-up tournaments without any direct impact on our performance.

“Now, we’re entering a phase where every match truly counts. The team is competitive, that’s for sure. But what’s most interesting is its development. We’ve really progressed in recent stages, and it shows in our play and our cohesion. Now, we need to translate all of that onto the pitch.”

France’s Men, who were 2023/24 HSBC SVNS Series champions, aim to be on top of the world again when the World Championship concludes on home soil in Bordeaux this June.

Things for the former Series champions have not been serene in 2025/26. Their efforts yielded two fourth-place finished and enjoyed their best outing in Singapore, where they placed second.

This weekend Benoît Baby’s charges are in Pool B with Series runners-up Fiji, eighth-place Great Britain and SVNS 2’s Germany.

Paulin Riva, France Men’s Sevens head coach, said: “We’re entering the final stretch. There’s a lot of excitement and a real desire to compete. The goal is clear: to win that world championship title. But it will require a great deal of precision, endurance, and resilience, because everything will come down to three tournaments. It’s a demanding format, but also very stimulating.

“If the title is decided in Bordeaux, it will be something very special. It adds a challenge, but also a lot of desire. We can’t wait to be there, but above all, we want to be there to compete for the title.”

France Women’s Sevens squad for Hong Kong

Kelly Arbey
Marie-Aurélie Castel
Anne-Cécile Ciofani
Alycia Christiaens
Lili Dezou
Marie Dupouy
Lilou Graciet
Cléo Hagel
Chloé Jacquet
Anaïck Konyi
Lou Noël Rivier
Léa Trollier
Yolaine Yengo

France Men’s Sevens squad for Hong Kong

Grégoire Arfeuil
Enahemo Artaud
Josselin Bouhier
Ali Dabo
Liam Delamare
Simon Desert
Nelson Épée
Maxim Granell
Diego Miranda
Rayan Rebbadj
Paulin Riva
Jordan Sepho
Antoine Zeghdar