The National Tabloids

Following a much succesful Rugby Team into Dubai for the 2009 Rugby Sevens World cup, Kenyan fans all over the world were watching. The Virgin Atlantic sponsored team did not disappoint. The National Press were hot on their heels and here is what they had to say:

East African Standard

• Yes, we can, says Injera
• Sevens team blaze past Tunisia in Dubai
• Kenya beats Hong Kong but fail to edge out England
• Brothers Kayanga and Injera dominate
• Kenya lose in semis in Dubai

Daily Nation

• Give way, Injera on his way!
• Kenyan juggernaut rolls into quarters
• Ayimba’s giant-killing charges leave might Fiji on the ropes
• Brave Kenya go down fighting

Day Three – Recap

News source: IRB.com

Focus on Kenya’s Perfomance

Quarter Finals: Kenya 26 – Fiji 7

A slow start, but Kenya showed that they are a force to be reckoned with when the first try came from Lavin Asego after a lose ball from the Fiji scrum put in. Good control of the ball from Kenya and mistakes from the Fijian side made Kenya to up their stakes for the Melrose Cup. The first half ended with Kenya leading 7 – 0. On the second half, Fiji came back with a try from Orisi Sareki, but Kenya practically danced their way to the semi-finals with Biko Adema, Humphrey Kayange (c) and Collins Injera scoring the necessary tries to put them in the history books by ousting the defending champions from the tournament by beating them 26 -7. This in return gave the Sevens World Cup potential new winners for the Melrose Cup. A prediction Coach Benjamin Ayimba made a mere six months ago, that Kenya will win the Cup.

Full Quarter Final Scores:

48	14:34	KENYA	26	-	7	FIJI	CQF
47	14:12	SOUTH AFRICA	12	-	14	ARGENTINA	CQF
46	13:50	ENGLAND	26	-	31	SAMOA	CQF
45	13:28	NEW ZEALAND	14	-	15	WALES	CQF
44	13:06	PORTUGAL	12	-	5	CANADA	PQF
43	12:42	FRANCE	19	-	21	SCOTLAND	PQF
42	12:20	UNITED STATES	14	-	24	AUSTRALIA	PQF
41	11:58	TONGA	24	-	7	TUNISIA	PQF
40	11:36	HONG KONG	14	-	7	ITALY	BQF
39	11:14	IRELAND	24	-	5	ARABIAN GULF	BQF
38	10:52	JAPAN	12	-	19	URUGUAY	BQF
37	10:30	ZIMBABWE	28	-	10	GEORGIA	BQF

Semi Final: Argentina 12 – Kenya 0

Argentina started their campaign for the cup final with a try from Horacio San Martin putting them in the lead. Kenya tried to get through the Argentinian defence to no avail ending the first half with Argentina leading 7 -0. On the second half, Argentina extended their lead with a try from Martin Bustos Moyano. Kenya again put up a convincing fight for a place in the final but the clock was against them, leaving Argentina to progress forward with a 12 – 0 win.

Full Semi Final Scores:

54	17:30	ARGENTINA	12	-	0	KENYA	CSF
53	17:08	WALES	19	-	12	SAMOA	CSF
52	16:02	SCOTLAND	29	-	7	PORTUGAL	PSF
51	15:40	TONGA	19	-	22	AUSTRALIA	PSF
50	15:18	IRELAND	22	-	15	HONG KONG	BSF
49	14:56	ZIMBABWE	24	-	7	URUGUAY	BSF

The day ended with the final places being played by the following teams:

Cup Final – Wales v Argentina

Plate Final – Australia v Scotland

Bowl Final – Zimbabwe v Ireland

And the final scores:

57	20:35	WALES	19	-	12	ARGENTINA	CF
56	19:30	AUSTRALIA	17	-	21	SCOTLAND	PF
55	18:30	ZIMBABWE	17	-	14	IRELAND	BF

Zimbabwe fought hard and proved to be no match for the Irish by taking home the Bowl. The only African team to take home some silverware.

Scotland and Australia performed a very entertaining game, that saw the Scots take home the Plate.

The final for the cup between Argentina and Wales was the one to watch. Wales had most of the possession and it sealed them a historic win of the Melrose Cup.

Bringing an end to a very exciting and entertaining Rugby Sevens World Cup.

Rugby is Reaching Out – Rugby Sevens for the Olympics Campaign

Day Two – Recap

News source: IRB.com

Focus on Group E

England 26 – Tunisia 24

Tom Varndell, England’s ‘high’ flyer, scored the first try against Tunisia on day two of the tournament. Two more tries for England and Tunisia’s Sabeur Ben Charrada put one in for his team before half time making the scores 19 – 7 to England. On the second half Tunisia came back fighting keeping England on their toes. Ending the match with two point margin score of 26 – 24 to England.

Kenya 43 – Hong Kong 7

Kenya started their day two campaign on a high despite Rowan Varty of Hong Kong scoring a try earlier in the game. By half time, Kenya was up 17 – 7 with tries from Lavin Asego and Gibson Weru. With support from their fans on the stands and around the world, they came up tops by ending the second half with tries from Lavin Asego, Sidney Ashioya, Horace Otieno and Collins Injera making the score 43 – 7. This showed the world that Kenya are not a second rate team, but a force to be reckoned with.

Tunisia 17 – Hong Kong 14

Keith Robertson scored Hong Kong’s first try all the way from Tunisia’s half, putting them ahead. He scored another try taking advantage of Tunisia being a man down after Khaled Zegden was sent to the sin bin. By half time, Tunisia were yet to score putting the scores at 14 – 0. On the second half, Tunisia came back with two quick tries from Amor Mezgar putting them back in the game. Khaled Zegden came back from the sin bin to score a try, putting Tunisia in the lead and giving them their first win of the tournament.

England 26 – Kenya 7

Tom Varndell has proven to be the fastest man in this tournament as he scores his fifth try against Kenya in the final match of group E, but it was Kevin Barret who put in the first try against Kenya. Humphrey Kayange saw a gap in the England defence and took a advantage to score a brilliant try. However England came back with Tom Varndell scoring a try giving England a lead of 12 – 7 just before half time. On the second half Isoa Damu scores two tries giving England the leading edge they needed to be top of their pool.

Full Day Two scores:

36	19:26	NEW ZEALAND	24	-	7	TONGA	Pool A
35	19:04	ENGLAND	26	-	7	KENYA	Pool E
34	18:42	SAMOA	19	-	0	AUSTRALIA	Pool D
33	18:20	FIJI	38	-	5	FRANCE	Pool B
32	17:58	SOUTH AFRICA	19	-	14	SCOTLAND	Pool C
31	17:36	ARGENTINA	14	-	0	WALES	Pool F
30	17:14	UNITED STATES	33	-	5	GEORGIA	Pool B
29	16:52	PORTUGAL	17	-	5	IRELAND	Pool D
28	16:30	ARABIAN GULF	17	-	19	ITALY	Pool A
27	16:08	TUNISIA	17	-	14	HONG KONG	Pool E
26	15:46	CANADA	22	-	12	JAPAN	Pool C
25	15:24	ZIMBABWE	28	-	24	URUGUAY	Pool F
24	15:02	FRANCE	33	-	0	GEORGIA	Pool B
23	14:40	AUSTRALIA	21	-	24	IRELAND	Pool D
22	14:18	SCOTLAND	31	-	10	JAPAN	Pool C
21	13:56	WALES	27	-	0	URUGUAY	Pool F
20	13:34	TONGA	31	-	10	ITALY	Pool A
19	13:12	KENYA	43	-	7	HONG KONG	Pool E
18	12:50	FIJI	26	-	12	UNITED STATES	Pool B
17	12:28	ARGENTINA	40	-	5	ZIMBABWE	Pool F
16	12:06	SOUTH AFRICA	15	-	7	CANADA	Pool C
15	11:44	SAMOA	20	-	7	PORTUGAL	Pool D
14	11:22	ENGLAND	26	-	24	TUNISIA	Pool E
13	11:00	NEW ZEALAND	41	-	5	ARABIAN GULF	Pool A

After the pool scores, Day Three Quarter Final matches shaped up as follows:

Cup – New Zealand v Wales, England v Samoa, South Africa v Argentina, Kenya v Fiji.

Plate – Tonga v Tunisia, USA v Australia, France v Scotland, Portugal v Canada.

Bowl – Zimbabwe v Georgia, Japan v Uruguay, Ireland v Arabian Gulf, Hong Kong v Italy.

Keep here for updates and recaps!

GO KENYA GO!

Rugby Fans!

News coverage from Nation TV Kenya of the fans in Dubai supporting the lads at the 2009 RWC.

VIRGIN ATLANTIC MAGNIFICENT SEVENS!‏

Collins Injera and Humphrey Kayange are on every team’s lips as the players to watch out for.

The pre-tournament hype has centered on the siblings as the players who make Kenya tick. One of the local dailies, The Times in a pull out brochure titled ‘Six out of Sevens’ has Injera, Ben Gollings (England), Ryno Benjamin (South Africa), Tomasi Cama (New Zealand), Santiago Gomez Cora (Argentina) and Chris Wyles (USA).

“The wing from Mwamba has a target this season to come in the top three try-corers an is on the way to that goal with 20 in the forst four World Series events (11 of them in the past two). A strong finisher and a good creator of tries.”

In the tournament brochure, Injera has been marked as one of the seven players to watch out for. Others are Ben Gollings (England), Luke Morahan (Australia), Sosene Anesi (New Zealand), Uale Mai (Samoa), Victor Vito (New Zealand) and Robert Ebersohn (South Africa).

The tournament’s website www.rwcsevens.com opts for Injera, Santiago Gomez Cora 9Argentina), Gio Aplon (South Africa), Tom Varndell (England), Viliame Waqaseduadua (New Zealand), Vilimoni Delasau (Fiji), Luke Morahan (Australia) and Takudzwa Ngwenya (USA). The article describes Injera as a key part to Kenya’s rise to a sixth position in the IRB Sevens World Series. “Injera is a natural-born finisher and nobody has scored more than his 20 tries this season,” the writer Steve Hill notes.

Day One – Recap

News Source: IRB.com

Focus on Group E

Kenya 29 – Tunisia 7

The opening try by Abess Kherfani went to Tunisia, but the lead was short lived as Kenya’s first try came from Humphrey Kayange putting Kenya on the path to victory on their first match of the tournament. Collins Injera stole the show by scoring a hat-trick of tries putting Kenya in the lead by a wide margin.

Although the game started out on a nervous tone, Kenya managed to overcome their nerves to beat Tunisia 29 – 7.

England 42 – Hong Kong 5

England breezed through day one of the tournament by defeating Hong Kong 42 – 5. Mark Goosen was the first to score a try for Hong Kong after Kevin Barret of England was sent to the sin bin, but a try from Tom Biggs a minute later put England on their way to win their first match of the tournament.

Full Day One scores:

12	20:38	SOUTH AFRICA	26	-	5	JAPAN	Pool C
11	20:16	FIJI	26	-	10	GEORGIA	Pool B
10	19:54	NEW ZEALAND	42	-	0	ITALY	Pool A
9	19:30	ENGLAND	42	-	5	HONG KONG	Pool E
8	18:16	ARGENTINA	19	-	7	URUGUAY	Pool F
7	18:06	SAMOA	35	-	5	IRELAND	Pool D
6	17:54	TONGA	19	-	0	ARABIAN GULF	Pool A
5	17:44	FRANCE	26	-	17	UNITED STATES	Pool B
4	17:32	SCOTLAND	14	-	33	CANADA	Pool C
3	17:22	AUSTRALIA	24	-	12	PORTUGAL	Pool D
2	17:10	KENYA	29	-	7	TUNISIA	Pool E
1	17:00	WALES	31	-	5	ZIMBABWE	Pool F

Day Two will see Kenya face Hong Kong on their first match of the day and England later on. The full fixtures are as follows (all times Dubai local):

13	11:00	NEW ZEALAND	-	ARABIAN GULF	Pool A
14	11:22	ENGLAND	-	TUNISIA	Pool E
15	11:44	SAMOA	-	PORTUGAL	Pool D
16	12:06	SOUTH AFRICA	-	CANADA	Pool C
17	12:28	ARGENTINA	-	ZIMBABWE	Pool F
18	12:50	FIJI	-	UNITED STATES	Pool B
19	13:12	KENYA	-	HONG KONG	Pool E
20	13:34	TONGA	-	ITALY	Pool A
21	13:56	WALES	-	URUGUAY	Pool F
22	14:18	SCOTLAND	-	JAPAN	Pool C
23	14:40	AUSTRALIA	-	IRELAND	Pool D
24	15:02	FRANCE	-	GEORGIA	Pool B
25	15:24	ZIMBABWE	-	URUGUAY	Pool F
26	15:46	CANADA	-	JAPAN	Pool C
27	16:08	TUNISIA	-	HONG KONG	Pool E
28	16:30	ARABIAN GULF	-	ITALY	Pool A
29	16:52	PORTUGAL	-	IRELAND	Pool D
30	17:14	UNITED STATES	-	GEORGIA	Pool B
31	17:36	ARGENTINA	-	WALES	Pool F
32	17:58	SOUTH AFRICA	-	SCOTLAND	Pool C
33	18:20	FIJI	-	FRANCE	Pool B
34	18:42	SAMOA	-	AUSTRALIA	Pool D
35	19:04	ENGLAND	-	KENYA	Pool E
36	19:26	NEW ZEALAND	-	TONGA	Pool A

Keep it here for updates and recaps!

GO KENYA GO!

RWC Kenya Squad & Day One

Day One

Kenya’s first game is against Tunisia at 1710hrs local time.

The squad list is as follows:

Humphrey Kayange	1
Allan Onyango	2
Victor Oduor	3
Benedict Nyambu	4
Wilson Opondo	5
Lavin Asego	6
Biko Adema	7
Innocent Simiyu	8
Collins Injera	9
Sidney Ashioya	10
Gibson Weru Kahuthia	11
Horace Otieno	12

Keep it here for updates!

And the Battle Begins….

Tomorrow is D-day for the lads at the IRB Sevens World Cup in Dubai. The schedule for tomorrows matches are as follows:

1	17:00	WALES	-	ZIMBABWE	Pool F
2	17:10	KENYA	-	TUNISIA	Pool E
3	17:22	AUSTRALIA	-	PORTUGAL	Pool D
4	17:32	SCOTLAND	-	CANADA	Pool C
5	17:44	FRANCE	-	UNITED STATES	Pool B
6	17:54	TONGA	-	ARABIAN GULF	Pool A
7	18:06	SAMOA	-	IRELAND	Pool D
8	18:16	ARGENTINA	-	URUGUAY	Pool F
9	19:30	ENGLAND	-	HONG KONG	Pool E
10	19:54	NEW ZEALAND	-	ITALY	Pool A
11	20:16	FIJI	-	GEORGIA	Pool B
12	20:38	SOUTH AFRICA	-	JAPAN	Pool C

The RWC broadcasters will be as follows in the following regions:

AFRICA

South Africa: MNET – All three days live

Pan Africa (20 countries): Supersport

Check broadcaster listings for details of TV coverage.

EUROPE

France: Eurosport – LIVE MATCH 5, 33, 49 – 57
UK: Setanta – 5 March 13:05-17:00, 6 March 06.55-16:15, 7 March 06:25-17:15
UK: SKY  – highlights
Italy: Roma Seven
Ireland: Setanta – 5 March 14:34-17:00, 6 March 06.55-16:15, 7 March 06:25-17:15
Greece: Netmed
Portugal: Sport TV -  5 March 13:05-17:00 GMT; 6 March – 07:44 GMT – Match 15 Samoa vs. Portugal, 09:30-15:50 GMT – Match 8 Women to Match 36 Men; 7 March – Quarter final match played by Portugal 09:28-17:15 GMT – Match 45 to Match 57 Men (and including Matches 37-41 Women)

Russia & Balkans: TVC
Romania: DTH/Boom Sports
Israel: Annaney

Check broadcaster listings for details of TV coverage.

NORTH & CENTRAL AMERICA

USA: Setanta – 5 March – 13:05 to 17:00 GMT; 6 March – 10:45 to 16:15; 7 March – 10:45 to 17:15
Canada: Setanta – 5 March – 13:05 to 17:00 GMT; 6 March – 10:45 to 16:15; 7 March – 10:45 to 17:15
Mexico: PCTV

Check broadcaster listings for details of TV coverage.

Show your support of the lads by tuning in!!!

Schedule and Broadcasters source: IRB.com

THE THREE MUSKETEERS

When the third Rugby World Cup Sevens kicks off at ‘The Sevens’ in Dubai on Thursday, three former players will be wishing they were part of the action.

Oscar Osir, Benjamin Ayimba and Felix Ochieng were at the 2001 and 2005 Rugby World Cup Sevens as players. This time, they are on Kenya’s technical bench and have done a good job so far because Kenya has managed to claim the scalps of all the core IRB Sevens World Series teams.

Kenya made her debut in 2001 RWC Sevens in Mar del Plata, Argentina as one of the rank outsiders. It was a steep learning experience. “We did not know what to expect. Other teams had developed patterns of play while we relied on natural ability,” explained Ochieng. Yet, it was rewarding that the raw talent recorded their first win over a traditionally strong nation when they beat France!

On the eve of their departure, the three players shared their experiences. Ochieng noted Kenya now has much more exposure than they did then by being a core team of the IRB Sevens World Series. Notable among the changes from the first two RWC Sevens is the professionalism and attention to detail by the teams who were then largely amateur. “The players are much stronger now and better conditioned to take the punishment of competing at a very high level. The environment has also changed and competition is much intense. Personal skills have also improved,” the assistant coach explained.

Kenya only used to train for a total of eight to 10 hours per week. This has since gone up and the players spend an average of 28-30 hours training either on the pitch or in the gymnasium. The former Kenya forward who rose to prominence in 1996 as a Sevens player also admits the team was not as well equipped as it is now. “Look at what we have now? It is much better even though it does not match what the fully professional sides have,” he noted.

Ochieng relieves that the 2001 RWC Sevens in Argentina marked a milestone for Kenya. “We beat France which went down as a history then, Of course we have beaten France a couple of times since then because of that confidence from the first RWC Sevens,” Ochieng adds.

In the second outing in Hong Kong, Ochieng admitted Kenya had a very good side. “We were better prepared and convinced we could make a mark. Unfortunately, we did not start well and lacked the finer technical details. There were some glaring weaknesses which made ups not qualify for the quarter final of the main cup,” he added. Notably, two young players – Peter Ocholla and Sidney Ashioya – got their first big calling and have continued to shine despite sustaining injuries.

The RWC in Dubai has Kenya as a core team in the RWC Sevens Series. Ochieng notes that minute details are taken into account and every team has key players. “The coaches of all teams take time planning and studying the opponents. Mistakes are ruthlessly punished and the bounce of the ball could decide the match. It is much more mental,” he notes.

Osir who blazed the trail as one of the top goal scorers in Hong Kong agrees. “The mistakes by the top teams are minimal and there is a lot of patience in the build up. Technically, the game has evolved. Kenya has a good structure now and we defend quite well which was a weakness as we progressed,” he added.

The former winger admitted there was a hollow feeling when they left the scene almost at the same time. “Personally, I was worried especially when Benja and Felix left because they had been formidable forwards and there appeared to be an immediate gap. I was not worried about the backs because we have a steady supply,” Osir explained.

Osir admits that Kenya sometimes lacks consistency. “The consolation is that we have an average age of 23 in this team and am sure that 50 percent will make it for the next RWC Sevens which is encouraging. In 2005, Ashioya made an explosive debut and Ted Omondi was quite good,” Osir acknowledged.

Ayimba crowned the feeling saying he was pleased with the transition. “The players have matured and the work ethic in now visible. In the first RWC Sevens, we were mere participants as opposed to this when we are real contenders. As a unit, we are an amateur side but the players are now professional in approach to the game,” the coach said.

The former captain also admits the 2001 RWC Sevens was a learning experience. “Personally, I believe the planning lacked some details and we did not know how to counter certain situations which made it easier for our opponents. Now we have a plan for every game and train toward achieving set goals. We should have done well in 2005 but for some crucial mistakes and our mission is to make up for this in Dubai,” he added.

Ayimba is excited that the transition has been smooth. “We have been blessed with talent. In 2001, we had a player like Kennedy Aswani who was quite a handful for the opponents. There was quality all around. The 2005 was even much better because we had youth and experience in Oscar, Ashioya, Lucas Onyango and Ted Omondi among others. The tempo has not changed in this team which has natural leaders like Innocent Simiyu, Kayange, Weru, Asego, Oduor and the rest,” he noted.

It is this progression and confidence that Ayimba and his charges look forward to bringing the Melrose Cup to Africa for the first time.

VIRGIN KENYA SEEDED SIXTH IN HONG KONG

Virgin Kenya will play the first match against West Indies following the official draw of Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse Hong Kong Sevens 2009 on Thursday at Hong Kong’s Exchange Square.

In Hong Kong, Virgin Kenya has been placed top of Pool F with USA, Scotland and West Indies. It is a near same scenario like in the fourth IRB Sevens World Series in San Diego, USA where Virgin Kenya lost 14-19 to Scotland at the Pool stage and 7-14 to USA in the Cup Quarter finals. “This is a tricky pool going by the form book,” commented coach Benjamin Ayimba.

The coach noted that there was no alternative but top the pool. “Finishing second is tricky because it means the destiny would be decided by the results of the other teams and if you look at the second-seeded teams in each pool, they are all capable,” the coach added.

Some 30 points are up for grabs for the winners who also stand to win $150,000. With England and South Africa tie after two tournaments. Hong Kong could be crucial to the eventual winner of the eight-leg Series.

At the draw was Henry Tang, the Chief Secretary for Administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and T Brian Stevenson, SBS, JP, President of the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union. John Slosar, Chief Operating Officer of co-title sponsor Cathay Pacific Airways, Simon Aird, Managing Director of co-title sponsor Credit Suisse, Hong Kong Rugby Football Union (HKRFU) Chairman Trevor Gregory and Hong Kong Sevens Tournament Operations Director Rod Mason.

This year’s IRB Sevens World Series is the most evenly contested in the history of the Series with the four tournaments played to date having been won by three different teams. Last year’s Hong Kong Sevens cup finalists South Africa won in Dubai and George, four-time Hong Kong champions England won in Wellington and Argentina were the shock champions of last weekend’s USA Sevens.

At present, England and South Africa are joint-top of the IRB World Sevens Series table on 60 points, eight clear of perennial champions New Zealand on 52. Argentina lie fourth with 48, ahead of Fiji on 32, Kenya on 24 and the USA, who took 12 points from their home event, on 20.

The top 12 participating teams have been seeded based upon their current overall ranking in the IRB Sevens World Series 2008/09: where teams are currently tied on Series points they are ranked based on head to head encounters between those two teams in this season’s Series. For example, South Africa and England are currently tied on 60 Series points, with South Africa being seeded ahead of England for the Hong Kong tournament by virtue of their two victories over England (19-12 in the Dubai Cup Final; 17-12 in the George Cup 1/4 final), compared with one win by England over South Africa (22-19 in the San Diego Cup Semi-final) on the Series to date.

The remaining participating teams have been seeded or placed in the draw based on performances in other IRB Sevens World Series events and IRB ratified tournaments, along with their final standings (where relevant) at the Hong Kong Sevens 2008. All seeds have been ratified by the IRB.

Tournament top seeds South Africa are the top seeded team in Pool A. South Africa will meet the tournament’s 12th seed overall, France, as well as Uruguay and Korea. After failing to overcome the final hurdle in Hong Kong at the 2008 Hong Kong Sevens, South Africa will be desperate for another shot at the ring.

Joint series leaders England is the tournament’s second overall seed in Pool B, where they will be matched up in a classic Home Unions tie against Wales. Resurgent after their tournament win in Wellington, England will also take on two of Asia’s finest, Japan and China.

In Pool C, defending Hong Kong Sevens champions New Zealand are matched against their trans-Tasman rivals Australia in a unique echo of the historic first ever Bledisloe Cup match played outside Australasia that was held in Hong Kong in November 2008. The two legendary rugby rivals are matched with Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka in Pool C play.

Pool D sees the old and new world meet head to head as the Series most recent champions Argentina face Portugal in the first and second seeds. Tonga and the hometown heroes Hong Kong complete Pool D.

Pool E features the mouth-watering prospect of two of the finest exponents of the abbreviated code, Fiji and Samoa, facing off in what is sure to be a fantastic demonstration of Sevens rugby. Canada and Taiwan will face the daunting challenge of meeting the combination of flair and physicality that so typifies Pacific Island rugby at its finest in Pool D.

Traditionally one of the most evenly matched pools due to the seeding structure of the Hong Kong Sevens, Pool F features sixth seeded Kenya, fresh from their first ever victory over New Zealand in San Diego against another of the surprise packages of the season, USA the seventh tournament seed overall. Scotland and West Indies were also drawn into the final grouping in the third and fourth tiers respectively.

All of this and the fact that one of these teams will be World Champions by end March promises one of the most entertaining weekends in Hong Kong Sevens history. The Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse Hong Kong Sevens 2009 will be played from March 27 to March 29, 2009 at the 40,000-seat Hong Kong Stadium.

Pool A: South Africa, France, Uruguay, South Korea.

Pool B: England, Wales, Japan, China.

Pool C: New Zealand, Australia, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka.

Pool D: Argentina, Portugal, Tonga, Hong Kong.

Pool E: Fiji, Samoa, Canada, Taiwan.

Pool F: Kenya, USA, Scotland, West Indies.

March 27: Kenya v West Indies (16.30), Fiji v Taiwan (16.52), Argentina v Hong Kong (17.14), New Zealand v Sri Lanka (17.36), England v China (17.58), South Africa v South Korea (18.20), USA v Scotland (19.10), Samoa v Canada (19.32), Portugal v Tonga (19.54), Australia v Zimbabwe (20.16), Wales v Japan (20.38), France v Uruguay (21.00).

March 28: USA v West Indies (10.30), Samoa v Taiwan (10.52), Portugal v Hong Kong (11.14), Australia v Sri Lanka (11.36), Wales v China (11.58), France v South Korea (12.20), Kenya v Scotland (12.52), Fiji v Canada (13.04), Argentina v Tonga (13.26), New Zealand v Zimbabwe (13.48), England v Japan (14.10), South Africa v Uruguay (14.32), Scotland v West Indies (14.54), Canada v Taiwan (15.14), Tonga v Hong Kong (15.36), Zimbabwe v Sri Lanka (16.00), Japan v China (16.22), Uruguay v South Korea (16.44), Kenya v USA (17.06), Fiji v Samoa (17.28), Argentina v Portugal (17.50), New Zealand v Australia (18.12), England v Wales (18.34), South Africa v France (18.56).