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The Rugby World Cup 7 will open new horizons next Friday as the tournament kicks off in San Francisco with the Fijian Olympic champions determined to break the New Zealand goal of becoming the first team to successfully defend the title.
The 24-team, seven-team tournament at AT & T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants Baseball, is the first Rugby World Cup event to take place in the United States.
Rugby is enjoying a resurgence in the United States, driven by the success of the men's team at seven and greater visibility of the sport than ever before.
Brett Gosper, managing director of World Rugby, told AFP that the tournament, which will be broadcast in clear on the NBC television channel, could ultimately turn out to be a "change." "for rugby in the United States.
"It's something that can ignite the sport in the United States," Gosper told AFP. "We're realistic, it's only three days and you can not change the world in three days, but you can light something and create a detonator for bigger things later."
The last edition of the Seven World Cup was held in Moscow in 2013, before a series of empty seats at the Luzhniki stadium
. The tournament officials are however confident of a better turnout in California this weekend. traditional homes of American rugby. A sold-out crowd is expected for Friday's opening day
The tournament also unveils a new knockout format.
Unlike most seven-man tournaments, which divide teams into round-robin groups before the tournament this weekend will leave the teams at the forefront of the game.
Sixteen teams will face each other in a preliminary round to qualify for the round of 16, where eight seeded teams – New Zealand, Fiji, South Africa, Australia, England, Argentina , Scotland and the United States are waiting.
– The first title of the BlitzBoks –
The "BlitzBoks" of South Africa are leading after a season winning their World Sevens Series title with the win at the Paris Sevens last month.
However South Africans never raised the World Cup crown, with their only appearance in the memorable 24-21 loss to a Waisale Serevi-inspired ed Fiji in the Hong Kong final in 1997.
"We do not have the biggest records of this tournament, but having said that, we know we will be a very competitive team if we play our forces," said the Blitzbok coach. Neil Powell said:
Yet while South Africans are the best, smart money is on Fiji to capture their third crown after victories in 1997 and 2005.
Medal winners gold of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games have named a formidable team. French stars Semi Radradra and European Player of the Year Leone Nakarawa. Fiji to face Uruguay or Japan in Friday's first round
Holders New Zealand has only two survivors of their victory in Moscow five years ago, captain Tim Mikkelson and Kurt Baker.
Joe Ravouvou will be the main offensive threat to New Zealanders, who do not let themselves be intimidated by the challenge of becoming the first team in the history of the World Cup to win consecutive titles.
"No team has ever won two World Cup titles since the start – we have certainly talked about that and be the first team to change that," said the coach. Clark Laidlaw
The New Zealand women's counterparts of the women's tournament will start Friday the team to beat. were convincing winners of the 2013 tournament and have won three of five events on the world rugby sevens circuit this year.
Kiwi women will have the tryscorer the most powerful of the season in their ranks in the form of Portia Woodman, who We had a good year, but this group is strict about itself, we think we have the room to improve ourselves and that the last elements we need are the most difficult, "said New Zealand coach Allan Bunting.
Waisea Nacuqu, of Fiji, seen in action at the # 39th London Sevens event 2018, at Twickenham Stadium, June 2nd
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