The IRB has announced the dates of the eight international tournaments to comprise the 2008/09 IRB 7s World Series.
Next year marks the 10-year anniversary of the annual meet.
The Series has enjoyed significant growth since its inception in 1999/2000, when it was launched to further promote Rugby 7s.
As in previous years the eight tournaments are packaged into pairs with two tournaments played a week apart.
Dubai (United Arab Emirates) and George (South Africa) are again the first pair of tournaments, with Dubai again staging the Series opener at the end of November 2008, four months before also hosting the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2009 for both men and women.
The Dubai event is now played in front of 35,000 on each of the two days.
Hong Kong, the most renowned 7s tournament on the circuit, enjoys a 120,000 sell-out crowd each year over its three days.
George in South Africa sold out for the first time in December 2007, while the 34,500-seat Westpac Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand sold out online in just five minutes this year with 70,000 people unsuccessful in their desire to attend the event.
San Diego (USA), Adelaide (Australia) and Edinburgh (Scotland) will be hosting a World Series tournament for the third time in the coming season and, along with the Twickenham event in London, all attracted strong crowds in the 2007/08 season.
Edinburgh will once again provide the stage for the climax to the IRB Sevens World Series, in which New Zealand will defend its title as champions for the seventh time having won eight of the nine Series contested to date.
Keen to wrest the title away in 2008/09 will be Fiji, South Africa, Argentina, Samoa, Kenya, England and Australia. Over 30 teams will participate in the eight tournament series.
2008/09 IRB 7s World Series:
Dubai, UAE: 28-29 November 2008, George, South Africa: 5-6 December 2008, Wellington, New Zealand: 6-7 February 2009, San Diego, USA: 14-15 February 2009, RWC 7s, men & women, Dubai: 5-7 March 2009, Hong Kong: 27-29 March 2009, Adelaide, Australia: 4-5 April 2009, London, England: 23-24 May 2009, Edinburgh, Scotland: 30-31 May 2009.
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