Enjoyed the Rugby World Cup but can’t wait 4 years!
The answer to all those who cannot wait until 2011 is just 2 years away, The IRB Rugby Sevens World Cup. The 2009 World Cup will take place from the 5th to the 7th March in Dubai and will pit the 24 finalists against each other following selection from 83 sides in regional tournaments. There are nine automatic qualifiers from the sides who reached the quarter finals in 2005, plus the hosts so 15 further sides will come out of the qualification process. The women’s competition will comprise 16 finalists.
IRB 7’s World Cup Qualification
The IRB has announced details of the regional qualifying Tournaments that will provide the finalists for both the men’s and women’s competitions. Nine Unions will qualify directly for the men’s Tournament from the eight quarter-finalists from 2005: Fiji, New Zealand, England, Australia, France, Scotland, Argentina and South Africa plus the Host Union, the Arabian Gulf. A further 15 places will be filled via qualifiers in all six regions which will kick-off in January 2008. Three qualifiers will come from Africa, two from North America, one from South America, two from Asia, five from Europe and two from Oceania.
Women’s Sevens runs parallel
The IRB Sevens World Cup in 2009, will have a women’s tournament running alongside and with the same format of qualification. Couple this with the IRB Sevens World Series and that is a feast of Sevens for supporters wherever in the World.
We will bring you all the news as it happens.