Dubai: Defending champions Fiji have been drawn in Pool A alongside Argentina, France and Brazil for this year’s Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens, it was confirmed by the International Rugby Board (IRB) on Monday.
The Fijians are favourites for round two of the nine-stage IRB Sevens World Series at the Sevens Stadium from December 4-6, having beaten Samoa 31-24 to win the opening round of the series at the Gold Coast Sevens in Australia earlier this month. Fiji also beat New Zealand 21-5 in the final of this month’s Oceania Sevens in preparation for the Gold Coast opener.
Samoa, who won in Dubai in 2012 but failed to retain their title in last year’s final against Fiji, have been drawn in Pool B with defending series champions and record five-time Dubai winners New Zealand, Scotland and Japan. New Zealand are traditional favourites having won a record 12 out of 15 world series seasons.
Meanwhile, four-time Dubai winners England face Australia, USA and Kenya in Pool C and three-time winners South Africa will play Wales, Canada and Portugal in Pool D.
In the women’s event, which is the opening round of the four-stage IRB Women’s Sevens World Series, Dubai defending champions Australia have been drawn with Spain, France and South Africa in Pool B.
Series defending champions New Zealand, who won in Dubai in 2012 but failed to retain their title in last year’s final against Australia, play Russia, USA and China in Pool A, while England play Canada, Fiji and Brazil in Pool C. Like the men, New Zealand ladies are always usually dominant having won both of the two women’s world series to date.
This year’s event carries extra prestige with the top four finishers in both the men’s and women’s series’ qualifying for rugby’s Olympic Games’ debut in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016.
“We have been privileged to see many fiercely-contested matches over the years at the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens,” said tournament director Jim Fitzsimons. “However, what adds some extra spice to this year’s tournaments in Dubai is the race to snap up direct Olympic qualification spots.
“The draw here offers some really exciting match-ups right from the group stage, in both the men’s and women’s divisions. There’s lots of potential for upsets as well, which means no team can take anything for granted. Fans can once again look forward to exciting and closely-fought encounters,” he added.
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