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.

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