'It's where I write my diary'
• The Birthplace of the 7s game was the Melrose Cup in the Scottish Borders in 1883 when the club were trying to raise some much needed funds.
• The IRB Sevens Schedule runs from 30th November in Dubai to 1st June in Scotland.
• The first IRB Sevens crown in Dubai was won by New Zealand in
1999/2000 with their side containing Christian Cullen, Mils Muliaina
Jonah Lomu and Eric Rush.
• New Zealand have won six out of the seven World Series but Fiji broke their stranglehold on the trophy
in 2005/6.
• The Hong Kong 7s originated in 1976 and is the widely regarded as
the showpiece event of the calendar. Fiji have won the event a record
11 times.
• Santiago Gomez Cora of Argentina is the all-time top try scorer with 170 tries.
• England flyer, Ben Gollings is the all-time IRB World Sevens Series leading points scorer with a remarkable 1613 points. He became the first player to reach the 1500 mark at the end of the 2005/6 season and represents some kind of a rugby journeyman having played for a whole host of clubs including Bath, Gloucester and Harlequins.
• Either 16 or 24 teams enter the series depending on the tournament with the Cup champions collecting 20 points (16-team) or 30 points (24-team) for winning the trophy.
• After the group stages, the teams go into the Cup, Plate or Bowl depending on their pool position.
• Teams are allowed up to 12 players and 2 management staff.
• Players must retain the same number shirt throughout the tournament and series.
• The rule are: 7 players per team, playing 7 minute halves, conversions must be drop kicked and the scoring team kicks off to restart play.
• Yellow cards result in 2-minute suspensions.
• Fiji are reigning Rugby World Cup Sevens holders haiving won the
trophy in 2004/5 including Waisale Serevi, Marika Vinibaka and the new
kid on the block William Ryder.
• Other notable 7s tournaments are Middlesex Sevens, Rosslyn Park Sevens and The Commonwealth Games
• As yet not an Olympic Sevens but the IRB are pushing hard…