Darcy Graham inspires Great Britain to 19-14 upset over Blitzboks in Bordeaux

Darcy Graham marked his return to sevens rugby with a try and a crucial last-gasp tackle as Great Britain defeated South Africa 19-14 in extra-time at the HSBC SVNS World Championship finale in Bordeaux, handing the Blitzboks — the tournament’s leading side — a shock opening-pool defeat.

Graham, Scotland’s all-time record try-scorer with 55 Test caps in the fifteens game, last played on the SVNS Series between 2016 and 2018, including a stint at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Returning to the format ahead of Nations Championship Tests in July, the 28-year-old Edinburgh winger played the full match — including extra-time — against the World Championship front-runners.

“I was bloody nervous coming into this game. I wasn’t expecting to go the full 14 minutes then plus extra-time. The lungs are going, the legs are heavy,” Graham told RugbyPass in Bordeaux. “I thought the bloke had done me on the outside and I felt like I was stuck in mud — it was just that last dip diving to get him. It was a big moment.”

GB raced into a 14-0 lead through tries from Maurice Kershaw and Graham, but South Africa hit back through Ricardo Duarttee, who scored twice to level the contest. The match turned in extra-time when Duarttee was shown a yellow card, and GB capitalised on their one-man advantage. Finley Lloyd-Gilmour sprinted clear three minutes into golden point at Stade Atlantique to seal the result.

Graham was candid about his personal motivations for the switch back to the short format. “For me it’s just about having fun. It’s been kind of almost a frustrating season at Edinburgh, not probably having as much ball,” he said. “I’ve just tried to do this for myself more than anything. I love playing sevens, I love getting the ball and running with it.”

GB captain Charlton Kerr had spoken publicly earlier in the week about the boost Graham’s presence had given the squad, and that confidence translated immediately on the pitch. The win echoes GB’s seven-point upset over the All Blacks Sevens in Perth earlier this season.

Despite that result, Great Britain head into the Bordeaux finale sitting last on the overall World Championship standings. They can still finish as high as seventh, with the top eight sides securing core status for the 2026/27 season — meaning every result across the three-day event carries significant weight.