DUBAI, 2 December 2003 — England will be looking to build on the success of winning the Rugby World Cup when the 2003-2004 IRB World Sevens Series kicks off in Dubai on Thursday.
The English squad, captained by Simon Amor of Gloucester, start the Dubai Rugby 7s tournament as top seeds following series victories in Hong Kong, Brisbane and London last season, and will be keen to emulate the glory of their counterparts in the 15-a-side game.
“The (sevens) players are very proud to wear the England jersey and England winning the World Cup only adds to that,” coach Joe Lydon said, denying that it created extra pressure on his team. England have been drawn in the same group as France, Morocco and Sri Lanka and are expected to have an easy passage into the knockout stage of the tournament on Friday.
New Zealand, who have dominated the 7s game since the IRB launched the 7s World Series in 1999, remain the team to beat as the current World Sevens champions.
The All Blacks will be without inspirational captain Eric Rush, who is suffering a calf injury, but coach Gordon Tietjens has selected a strong team with a wealth of Super 12 experience.
“We have a very good side with lots of experience, but any one of six teams can win any tournament,” Tietjens said.
New Zealand, who have won in Dubai for the past four years in a row, face the Arabian Gulf, Argentina and newcomers Uganda in the group stage, while South Africa, Samoa, Australia and Fiji are among the other sides hoping to give the two favorites plenty of problems.
South Africa coach Chester Williams, who won the Rugby World Cup with South Africa in 1995, said: “We are tired of just competing and intend to be the form team for the next series. In the first year as coach, my main objective was to get amongst the top three 7s teams in the world.
After Dubai, the world sevens circuit moves to George in South Africa for the second leg of the eight-tournament competition, which concludes in London in June.
Scottish Rugby Chief Sacked
In Edinburgh, Scottish Rugby Union chief executive Bill Watson was sacked yesterday as the first step in an attempt to overhaul the game in Scotland.
“The urgent need for reform in Scottish rugby is widely recognized,” SRU chairman David Mackay said. “Bill has made an important contribution to Scottish rugby over many years but nothing stands still and it is time for a new era.
“The search for a successor who can build upon the strong foundation of the past as well as drive forward all aspects of Scottish rugby has already begun.” Critics of the current set-up insist the game in Scotland needs to be improved at grassroots level.
