• • Facebook
  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • Technorati
  • Reddit
  • Stumble Upon
  • Furl

The countdown to IRB Rugby World Cup Sevens 2009 is officially on following the draw for the Pools.

Twenty-four men's teams and, for the first time, sixteen women's team will battle it out to be crowned world champions at Dubai's magnificent new venue 'The Sevens' from 5-7 March.

The draw was carried out by Bernard Lapasset, the Chairman of Rugby World Cup Limited, with Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein and His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, according to the IRB.

Defending men's champions Fiji have been drawn with France, USA and Georgia in Pool B attempting to become the first side to successfully defend the Melrose Cup following their victory in Hong Kong four years ago. Fiji coach Waisale Serevi admitted his side faced a tough challenge to defend their crown:

"There are no easy pools and that is a measure of how far Sevens has progressed since the last World Cup, with every team capable of beating each other on any given day. We will not be underestimating France or Georgia as they have proven that they can challenge, while USA are also going to be extremely tough.”

Former winners New Zealand tackle Tonga, hosts Arabian Gulf and Italy in Pool A while IRB Sevens World Series leaders South Africa find Scotland, Canada and Japan awaiting them in Pool C in Dubai.

Men's Draw:

Pool A: New Zealand, Tonga, Arabian Gulf, Italy
Pool B: Fiji, France, USA, Georgia
Pool C: South Africa, Scotland, Canada, Japan
Pool D: Samoa, Australia, Portugal, Ireland
Pool E: England, Kenya, Tunisia, Hong Kong
Pool F: Argentina, Wales, Zimbabwe, Uruguay

The six pool winners and best two runners up will progress to the Melrose Cup quarter-finals, the four other runners up and four best sides that finish third in their pool will contest the Plate and the remaining sides the Bowl.

Rugby World Cup Sevens 2009 will feature the first ever women's competition with sixteen teams having come through a competitive qualifying process involving 83 nations across the IRB's six regions.

England, the top seeds in the women's competition, will face Japan, Russia and USA in Pool B, while second seeds and Oceania champions Australia are joined in Pool A by Netherlands, France and China. They are coached my former England Men’s Sevens stalwart, Simon Amor.

Women's Draw:

Pool A: Australia, Netherlands, France, China
Pool B: England, Japan, Russia, USA
Pool C: Canada, Brazil, Spain, Thailand
Pool D: New Zealand, South Africa, Italy, Uganda

---

For tickets and packages to the 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Dubai, go to Official Tour Operator Gullivers Sports Travel.