The captains of the 16 teams competing in the first event of the new season, the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens, have joined together to launch the start of the 2010/11 HSBC Sevens World Series.
Sevens Rugby’s showpiece event kicks off in Dubai and travels on to South Africa next weekend before further visits in 2011 to New Zealand, USA, Hong Kong, Australia, England and Scotland.
Samoa kick off this season as defending champions, having secured their first Sevens World Series title at Murrayfield in May, while New Zealand will be defending the first of the individual Cup titles in Dubai.
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Video: Start of the new HSBC Sevens World Series
Final squads declared for Dubai opener
All 16 countries have named their final squads of 12 for the season-opening Dubai event, which will kick off at 09:20 on Friday 3 December with the match between Fiji and Portgual and climax with the Cup final on the evening of 4 December.
Sixty-four players are making their HSBC Sevens World Series debuts at the event, England the only side with 12 players to have played previously at this level.
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Did you know....
0 - England are the only side in Dubai kicking off the new HSBC Sevens World Series with no debutants.
1 - HSBC is the first title sponsor of the IRB's Sevens World Series, which is now called the HSBC Sevens World Series.
3 - Three players here in Dubai have passed the 100 try mark on the World Series - Ben Gollings of England (202), Samoa's reigning IRB Sevens Player of the Year, Mikaele Pesamino (151) and Fijian flyer Nasoni Roko (117).
6 - Arabian Gulf, Fiji, New Zealand and South Africa all have six players set to take their opening bow on the World Series stage. However, Scotland have the most with eight.
8 - The number of World Series titles won by New Zealand. The other three have been won by Fiji (2005/06), South Africa (2008/09) and Samoa (2009/10).
12 - This is the start of the 12th Sevens World Series to date and when England captain Ben Gollings takes to the field he will be the one player to have played in all 12.
14 - Collectively, the Arabian Gulf side is the least experienced on the world stage - their players have played 14 events between them, one less than the second least experienced team, Scotland.
64 - Sixty-four players are making their HSBC Sevens World Series debuts at the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens.
234 - Samoa are the most experienced team in Dubai with 234 events played between the 12 players. Kenya are the second most experienced (190) and England third (166), although 62 off those come under the name of captain Ben Gollings.
2374 - The number of points scored on the World Series to date by England captain Ben Gollings, the all time leading point-scorer in Sevens Rugby.
