2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens

The 2009 Rugby Sevens World Cup will be the 5th edition of the tournament. The venue for the tournament will be Dubai, which has also previously hosted sevens events. The major sponsor for this event is Emirates Airlines in conjunction with Atlantis, The Palm accommodating the team in their state of the art destination resort on the Palm Jumeirah.

Hosts Candidates

Arabian Gulf

The Arabian Gulf currently stages the Dubai Sevens, one of the events that currently comprises the IRB Sevens World Series. The region has excellent international air connections and massive financial resources. Dubai is one of the most up and coming international sporting destinations, hosting legs in the PGA, and is currently undertaking one of the largest sport venue projects in the world known as the Dubai Sports City.

Australia

Australia attracted a record crowd (for Rugby sevens) of 50,000 to the rugby event at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. The country also successfully hosted the 2003 World Cup in the 15-man version of the game, as well as the 2000 Summer Olympics. In 2007, Australia began hosting the Adelaide Sevens, a new event in the Sevens World Series.

Kenya

Kenya are regular IRB Sevens series competitors and hosted the successful Safari Sevens in Nairobi.

Netherlands

The Netherlands compete on the FIRA-AER European Sevens Series circuit.

New Zealand

Wellington currently hosts a leg of the sevens series. This has has been held very successfully for the past few years at a great stadium Westpac Stadium. New Zealand is also a Super Power of the sevens and fifteens game and in New Zealand rugby is part of their culture. They also are hosting the 2011 Rugby World Cup for the 15-a-side game.

Russia

Russia are regular IRB Sevens series competitors, and in July 2006, will host the final of the FIRA-AER European Sevens Series.

outh Africa

South Africa also boasts a large rugby fan base, solid infrastructure with ongoing improvements in preparation to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and considerable experience in hosting international rugby events, having hosted the hugely successful 1995 Rugby World Cup and currently stage a leg of the Sevens World Series.

United States

The United States also stages a leg of the Sevens World Series commonly held in San Diego. The proposed host city of Denver would have held the event at Invesco Field at Mile High, currently the home of the National Football Leagues Denver Broncos. Led by the Metro Denver Sports Commission, the Denver bid feel short, but was in the final considerations along with Moscow Russia, and Dubai UAE. Although rugby is currently a second tier sport in the States, the US has considerable experience with staging massive sporting events. They hosted the Summer Olympics in 1904, 1932, 1984, 1996, the Winter Olympics in 1932, 1960, 1980, 2002 the 1994 FIFA World Cup and host World Series and Super Bowls championships annually.

Teams

Men's

24 Teams will take part in this tournament

See also

*Women's Rugby World Cup
*IRB Sevens World Series
*Rugby World Cup Sevens
*Rugby World Cup