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With the return of IRB World Sevens Series next weekend at Twickenham, Robin Heymann caught up with the Tournament Director, Terry Burwell, to find out how preparations were going for the big weekend and his views on Sevens in the UK.

Terry how exciting is it for London to be hosting at such a crucial stage of the IRB Sevens season, with the title still very much up for grabs?

The whole dynamic of a Series is to bring the overall event to a conclusion and the London event has that potential this year. England will be looking for success in the last 2 Tournaments, but first they need to win at 'home' and that should be great for the England supporters and team.

Ticket sales have excelled this year, what are the main reasons for this?

We have put designated resource into a number of ticket offers, very early on in the whole process. We have also done this on a corporate level as well, helping to produce our biggest year-on-year increase. We are hopeful we can top 50,000 over the 2 days, that’s an increase of approx 30% on 2008 attendance.

How does London compare to other tournaments on the circuit? Is it difficult having almost to compete with such popular tournaments like Hong Kong and Dubai?

London and Twickenham are actually an event the players and coaches genuinely really look forward to. To help try and generate the same atmosphere as both Hong Kong and Dubai, we have focused on making sure the bottom tier seats sales are high, bringing the atmosphere to life. We have invested in event entertainment making sure it's the sevens party to be at!

What are the major strengths of London compared to other venues?

Without doubt the Twickenham stadium - it's the biggest draw.

You are one of the few Tournament Directors who has been involved with the IRB Sevens throughout its 10 year tenure. How has the Series developed in your opinion?

It's been challenging to get the concept of a series accepted and ensure the commercial rights are protected for each tournament. However, Sevens is a great product and with increased TV exposure, the series will grow even faster. The tournaments and their formats have now settled into a rhythm which is understood but I feel there are some big challenges for players in playing back-to-back competitions such as HK and Adelaide.

As a Tournament Director can you briefly give an insight into your movements in the build up to the big weekend and during the tournament days themselves?

I've got a great team who focus on operational issues for the players. We all believe that world class events start and finish with making the player experience the best we possibly can, which includes grounds, transportation, and medics - this is our primary focus. Once that's all in place Chris Burns and Pam Cartwright run the show and I just get involved in disputes (if any!) and ensuring the look and feel of the event are of the highest quality.

Will London be activating any promotions for the IRB's Olympic Campaign?

The IRB are leading on this and have invited senior Olympic observers to the London event.

What is your opinion on its potential inclusion in the Games?

Sevens has a very good chance, especially after the success of the women's competition in Dubai and the inclusion of a whole new group of rugby playing nations. The Olympics will be a major impetus to all Rugby events and the World Series will be no different.

How do you see the landscape of Sevens in England as a whole at the moment?

Sevens is one of the major up-and-coming disciplines. After the game went open in 1995 and the leagues became all consuming, Sevens and Easter tours became less important.  But that's changing and now players are opting for Sevens as a game of choice, as well as their 15-a-side commitments. The demand is growing for a range of products.

Can you give me an example of these other products?

Sure, I’m talking about Leisure Rugby. So your Touch, Tag, and obviously Sevens. It's competitive but social and is led by peer groups and a desire to play the game.

UR7s will be providing news, further interviews and a Live Text Commentary of the Emirates Airline London Sevens which kicks off on the 23/24th of May.

Click here for London 7s tickets