There will be added significance to proceedings when the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens kicks off on December 3. Not only will this be the 40th anniversary of the event, but it will also be a celebration of the first major international tournament since rugby sevens’ inclusion in the Olympic Games.

Taking part in this historic occasion will be 161 teams from all over the world and of course the thousands of spectators expected to flock to 7he Sevens for the three-day rugby carnival.

On pitch one, 16 of the finest teams in the world will be hoping to get the best possible start to their IRB Sevens World Series campaigns in Dubai. Leading the way will be defending tournament and series champions, South Africa. But as the gap between the top-ranked nations and those just below them narrows each year, the Springbok Sevens side are likely to find it tough going in Dubai.

"To win the title is one thing, to defend it an even tougher task," admitted South African coach Paul Treu. "But that’s why we have been working so hard this year. We know we are going to be the target for a number of other teams and we will have to be at our best if we want to defend our title."

Doing their best to get their hands on the coveted trophy will be the England team that lost out to South Africa in a thrilling final in Dubai last year. “We always go out with the aim to win every tournament. However this year will be an even bigger task than last year with teams improving all the time and the way sevens is growing. It’s going to be exciting,” reckoned England star and overall top points scorer in the IRB Sevens World Series, Ben Gollings.

Gollings was ruled out of last year’s Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens through injury and can’t wait to get out onto the pitch at The Sevens. “It’s always such a great atmosphere to play in and it was very frustrating watching last year,” he said. “Having all the other competitions going on at the same time creates a great buzz and playing in one of the only purpose-built Sevens venues in the world makes it an awesome event. The crowd is electric,” added Gollings.

Also hoping for a good start to their season will be the New Zealand side, who dominated most of the IRB Sevens World Series since its inception 11 years ago, but had a rather disappointing run last season. “It’s always important to start well in the IRB Sevens Series and the Dubai and George tournaments are vital. We have to acclimatise quickly and with several new players it’s important that we start developing combinations,” said New Zealand coach Gordon Tietjens.

“The series will be more competitive than ever with the likes of South Africa, Fiji, England, Samoa, Kenya, Argentina and even Scotland all quality sides,” he added.

Fiji will indeed be another of the major forces to be reckoned with at the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens, having finished second in the overall series standings last season. “I think you’ve always got to be confident going into these tournaments. But of course there are so many good teams these days that any one of a whole host of teams could win. Honestly I think it’s impossible to predict,” said Fiji coach Iliesa Tanivula.

Meanwhile, making a triumphant return to Dubai will be world champions Wales, who claimed a surprise Rugby World Cup Sevens victory at the same venue earlier this year. Not wanting to place any undue pressure on his side, which is made up largely of new players, Welsh coach Paul John reckoned: “It will be a steep learning curve for our squad and while they are a very talented group of boys, they may take awhile to gel.

“But Dubai is a fantastic competition. There is a huge Welsh contingency in the crowd and I’m sure our players will grow through the tournament,” he added.

President of Group Services and Dnata, Emirates Group, Gary Chapman said: “We are particularly excited to be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the tournament this year.

“When looking at the photos taken 40 years ago of the matches being played on sand pitches with only a handful of spectators on the sidelines, it’s incredible to think that the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens has developed into a world-record breaking event, which last year attracted 130,000 to the three-day spectacle.

“Emirates has been on board as sponsor of the event for over 20 years and will continue in its support of such a truly remarkable event for many years to come. As the teams gather for this weekend’s tournament, and the crowds start pouring in, I have no doubt that the 2009 Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens will be as spectacular as ever, with a record number of teams taking part,” added Chapman.

Tickets for the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens are still available and will be on sale at the gates at The Sevens venue on the Al Ain Road. From 5pm each day, a free bus service will once again be transporting fans from The Sevens venue back to five convenient locations across Dubai. These drop-off points are: The Irish Village, Dubai Festival City, Chi @ The Lodge, Barasti and Media City (family drop-off point).