The Pool Allocation Draw for Rugby World Cup Sevens 2009 will take place at the Atlantis Hotel, the majestic focal point of Palm Jumeirah, in Dubai on Monday, January 19 at 12:00 local time (08:00 GMT).
Bernard Lapasset, the Rugby World Cup Limited Chairman, will conduct the draw with Your Royal Highness Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein and Your Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group.
The draw for the historic Women's Rugby World Cup Sevens competition will be conducted first with Brazil (South America), England, Netherlands, Russia, France, Spain, Italy (Europe), Australia, New Zealand (Oceania), South Africa, Uganda (Africa), Japan, Thailand, China (Asia), Canada and USA (North America) the 16 qualifiers.
This will be followed by the men's draw with the 24 participants drawn into six pools of four teams. Eight teams - Fiji, New Zealand, England, Australia, South Africa, Argentina, France and Scotland - qualified automatically after reaching the Melrose Cup quarter finals at RWC Sevens 2005, along with the Host Union, the Arabian Gulf.
The other 15 participants came through a competitive regional qualifying process with Uruguay (South America), Portugal, Wales, Georgia, Ireland, Italy (Europe), Samoa, Tonga (Oceania), Japan, Hong Kong (Asia), USA, Canada (North America), Kenya, Zimbabwe and Tunisia (Africa) the nations securing their place in Dubai.
There are now less than 50 days to go before the world's best Sevens stars begin their quest to be crowned world champions at the purpose-build 'The Sevens' in Dubai from 5-7 March.
Tickets are available through the official website, while a range of international travel packages are available to residents in Argentina, Australia, France, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa, United Kingdom and the USA through the official travel partner Gullivers Travel via www.gulliverstravel.co.uk.
Tickets are also on sale locally in Dubai through the Emirates Headquarters, the Dnata Travel Centre on Sheikh Zayed Road, at Costa outlets (Mall of the Emirates, Dubai Mall, Al Wahda Mall Abu Dhabi) and MMI outlets (Al Wasl Road, Ibn Battuta Mall, Mall of the Emirates, Sheikh Zayed Road).
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