New Zealand will be the Pool D favourites, with Richie Pugh and his Wales squad also up against Samoa and the Arabian Gulf on Day One. Pool C’s South Africa, Argentina, Canada and Tunisia lie in store in Saturday’s quarter finals for the top two in Pool D, the winners and the runners up from each group meeting each other for a place in the last four.
Dubai is one of six tournaments in which Wales will compete in the IRB Sevens Series this season, Dubai, George (South Africa), Adelaide, Hong Kong, Scotland and England.
Wales burst back onto the Sevens scene last year in their first season back in Sevens action since 2002, lifting the Plate Trophy in all four tournaments they competed in at Dubai, George, the Commonwealth Games and Hong Kong.
Wales Sevens Head Coach Dai Rees said: “Our objectives are to ensure the development of a number of youngsters, which comes from exposing them to a world class competition environment.
“If two or three of our Sevens squad become established regional players by this time next year, or even further progress into the senior Wales squad as James Hook has done, we will have done our job.”
Wales Sevens: Richie Pugh (capt, Ospreys), Lee Beach (Ospreys), Gareth Chapman (Dragons), Jonathan Edwards (Llanelli RFC), James Harris (Dragons Academy/Bedwas RFC), Thomas James (Blues Academy/Cardiff RFC), Alec Jenkins (Scarlets Academy/Llanelli RFC), Rhodri McAtee (Penzance), Richard Mustoe (Ospreys), Tal Selley (Ospreys) , Aled Thomas (Dragons), Martyn Thomas (Scarlets Academy/Llanelli RFC), Lee Williams (Scarlets Academy/Llanelli RFC).
Wales Sevens Management
Head Coach Dai Rees
Assistant Coach Gareth Baber
Manager David Jenkins
Fitness Coach Huw Wiltshire
Physiotherapist Hywel Griffiths
