USA and Canada are the only North America sides to have graced the Rugby World Cup Sevens stage, a statistic they will be hoping to maintain at the region?s qualifiers for the 2009 edition in the Bahamas on 25-26 October.
The Canadians have played in all of the four previous RWC Sevens, the USA missing the 2001 event when their neighbours reached the Melrose Cup quarter finals. It is the USA, though, who have claimed silverware by winning the Bowl title in 1997.
Eleven men?s and nine women?s teams will contest the NAWIRA [North America West Indies Rugby Association] qualifier, trying to secure one of two places available from both competitions to play at RWC Sevens 2009 in Dubai next March.
In the men?s competition, the USA ? who have replaced Canada as a core member of the IRB Sevens World Series in 2008/09 ? have been drawn in Pool A with Mexico and Bermuda, while Canada head Pool B with Trinidad & Tobago, Cayman Islands and the Bahamas.
Guyana, the reigning Caribbean Sevens champions who number around five of the West Indies Sevens team in their ranks, are joined in Pool C by Jamaica ? the side they beat in the last two Caribbean Sevens finals, Barbados and St Vincent & The Grenadines.
At the end of day one the three pool winners and runners-up will be redrawn into two Cup pools, the top two in each then progressing to the semi finals with the two finalists securing their passage to the RWC Sevens 2009.
Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago ? the reigning Caribbean fifteens champions ? and an improving Mexico will all hope to be in contention for that qualification on day two, but for those who don?t progress to the Cup pools they will play each other in a round robin Plate competition.
Historic occasion for Bermuda's women
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
source www.rugbybahamas.com
