Mumbai: Newly-crowned IRB Rugby Sevens World Series champions Samoa and defending champions New Zealand will figure in the strong line-up at the 16-team Commonwealth Games Rugby Sevens tournament in Delhi in October.
Samoa and New Zealand will be joined by hosts India, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Kenya, Namibia, Uganda, England, Scotland, Wales, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Canada and Guyana in the tournament to be held on October 11 and 12, a media release said.
The pools and tournament schedule would be announced in the coming weeks.
The tournament provides an early opportunity to see the format's blend of high-paced action and competitive matches in a multi-sport games environment since the sport was voted into the Olympic Programme at the 121st IOC Session in Copenhagen last October.
IRB President Bernard Lapasset said the CWG event will play a crucial role in the development of rugby worldwide.
"We believe that the Sevens tournament at the Commonwealth Games plays an important role in the ongoing development and promotion of rugby around the world, attracting some of the world's top players, delivering exciting matches and attracting new fans, thanks to the
remarkable talent of the international teams competing," he said.
Rugby Sevens made its CWG debut in Kuala Lumpur in 1998.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, June 10, 2010, 19:53