2009 7’s Rugby World Cup is Shaping Up

From International Rugby Board (irb.com):

Sevens World Cup Qualifier
Oct 23-27, 2008 – Nassau, Bahamas

The USA and Canada will be favourites to take North America’s two places in the inaugural Rugby World Cup Sevens women’s competition, but they will not underestimate the threat posed by the likes of reigning Caribbean champions Jamaica along with Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago.

The Women’s Eagles will face Barbados and St Vincent & The Grenadines in Pool A on day one, while Canada have been drawn in Pool B with Cayman Islands, who will be making their Sevens debuts on the international stage, and Trinidad & Tobago.

Pool C is headed by Jamaica and also features Guyana and Bermuda, who will create their own piece of history at the qualifier in Nassau by playing their first ever women’s international match in either fifteens or Sevens.

The competition will follow the same format as the men’s event on day two, although the three sides who fail to progress to the Cup pools will play each other twice in the round robin Plate.

In both the men’s and women’s competitions the battle to qualify for the RWC Sevens 2009 in Dubai next March will be just as fiercely contested as the one to be crowned champions of the Caribbean.

The NAWIRA qualifier is the penultimate event on the road to RWC Sevens 2009 with only the Africa men’s tournament to play before the identity of all 24 men’s and 16 women’s teams who will grace ‘The Sevens’ are known.

Men’s Day 1 Pools:
Pool A: USA, Mexico, Bermuda
Pool B: Canada, Trinidad & Tobago, Bahamas, Cayman Islands
Pool C: Guyana, Jamaica, Barbados, St Vincent & The Grenadines

Women’s Day 1 Pools:
Pool A: USA, Barbados, St Vincent & The Grenadines
Pool B: Canada, Trinidad & Tobago, Cayman Islands
Pool C: Jamaica, Guyana, Bermuda

RWC Sevens women’s qualified teams:
Brazil – South America qualifier
England – Europe qualifier
Netherlands- Europe qualifier
Russia – Europe qualifier
France – Europe qualifier
Spain – Europe qualifier
Italy – Europe qualifier
Australia – Oceania qualifier
New Zealand – Oceania qualifier
South Africa – Africa qualifier
Uganda – Africa qualifier
Japan – Asia qualifier
Thailand – Asia qualifier
China – Asia qualifier

Make sure to check out Tyshawn Henry’s blog about her journey to the 2009 7’s World Cup…and the adventures of the pink cape!

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