The penultimate qualifying tournament for Rugby World Cup Sevens 2009 in Dubai takes place this weekend with the best men's and women's Sevens teams in North America and the Caribbean descending on Nassau in the Bahamas.
Of the 11 teams in the men's draw, the USA are arguably the favourites. Having recently replaced Canada as the region's 'core' team to play in all eight events of the forthcoming IRB Sevens World Series, a new found focus and attention are being lent to Sevens under the steely eye of coach Al Caravelli.
In a bid to guard against complacency in Nassau, Caravelli is taking a different approach and, assuming that a robust defence will win the tournament, he is turning the entire exercise into a defence work-out.
"We know we're seeded number and one and we're taking it one game at a time with specific goals for each game and, specifically in the NAWIRA tournament, our goal is to not have our line breached," he told Total Rugby.
"We've told all the players that our goal is not to score tries, it's not to have tries scored against us."
By default, of course, this also means that Caravelli is out to win the competition. In shifting the emphasis he aims to take his players out of any comfort zone they might otherwise have found themselves in against the likes of Mexico, against whom they begin their campaign.
"The first objective is to qualify, it's extremely important for USA Rugby as a union, and then if we become the NAWIRA champions and go undefeated that's a bonus, but the primary objective is to qualify for the World Cup.
"I think we are making huge strides. Our skills levels are increaseing, so too our fitness levels and we now have speed right across the board.
The USA finished their IRB Sevens World Series campaign last year on a high. Although they lost to Argentina in the Bowl final, they had already beaten both Scotland and England at the Adelaide Oval, both for the first time, so there is much positivity in the squad, as well as heaps of talent.
Flying wing Takudzwa Ngwenya is not involved - he has stayed with his club Biarritz and will instead join up with Caravelli in Dubai and South Africa for the first two events of the new Series, which are important in providing seeding points for the World Cup.
Forward Todd Clever will be in Nassau, though, along with versatile back Chris Wyles, who is released by Saracens Director of Rugby Eddie Jones.
NAWIRA women last to qualify
While the 24-team men's draw in Dubai also awaits the results of the African qualifying event in Tunisia next weekend, the two women’s teams who book their places this weekend will complete the 16-team line-up at the first ever women's Rugby World Cup Sevens, drawing an end to a qualifying process which has involved 83 women’s teams.
Brazil's women made history as the first team to qualify and since then England, the Netherlands, Russia, France, Spain, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Uganda, South Africa, Japan, China and Thailand have all made sure of places at the showpiece event.
The favourites to book their tickets in Nassau are Canada and USA, however they face stiff competition from reigning Caribbean champions Jamaica as well as Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago. The women’s tournament will also create history with the Cayman Islands making their Sevens debut and Bermuda playing their first ever women’s international match in either fifteens or Sevens.
“The North America women’s qualifier will be a historic event. Not only will it mark the end of the global qualifying process for Rugby World Cup Sevens 2009 in Dubai, but it will also mark the birth of the Cayman Islands and Bermuda national Sevens teams. This truly highlights the growth in popularity and interest worldwide in both the Women’s Game and Rugby Sevens,” said IRB Sevens Manager Beth Coalter.
The teams in both tournaments are split into three pools of three with the top two teams from each pool redrawn into a Cup competition comprising two pools on day two, from which the top teams will progress to the semi finals. The two finalists will book their passage to Rugby World Cup Sevens 2009.
