New Zealand favourites

Newly-crowned Commonwealth champions New Zealand will start as favourites when the first leg of the eight-stage IRB Sevens World Series gets under way here on Friday.

The Kiwis arrive in the United Arab Emirates as defending champions of the two-day event although an experienced Samoa team snatched the overall title last season. "We were disappointed to finish runners-up last year to a very good Samoan team so now we've got to push on with our goals and objectives this year to win back the World Series," said long-time New Zealand coach Gordon Tietjens. "We've won eight but haven't won it the last two years - we were second last year and fourth the year before, but Sevens has got a lot closer." Tietjens said his team's goal over the last year had been to ensure a fourth consecutive gold at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

"Our objective, first and foremost, was to win that (Commonwealth) gold medal, that was right up at the top and then the World Series.

"This year it's just the World Series so I can tell you that New Zealand will be doing their utmost to go out and win that Series."

DUBAI, AFP