Last week the pools were announced for this year's Commonwealth Games Rugby Sevens event in Delhi and in his latest column for IRBSevens.com chief Sevens commentator Nigel Starmer-Smith looks forward to what he believes will be a fiercely competitive event that will once again captivate the sporting world. ?

?I can't wait for the Commonwealth Games. Normally we have six months after Edinburgh finishes with no Sevens, until Dubai kicks off the new Series, but this year the giant tournament in Delhi comes sooner, in October.

?A year on from the Olympic decision, the Commonwealth Games couldn't be better timed and will once again provide another spectacle in a different country for all to enjoy. ?

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?Already we're seeing some big names come forward - All Blacks Adam Thomson, Hosea Gear and Zac Guildford and Wallaby Lachie Turner - and I'm sure many more will follow suit from the likes of England, Wales, Scotland and South Africa. Imagine seeing a Leigh Halfpenny in Delhi or a Mathew Tait back at the Commonwealth Games, four years on from his heroics in Melbourne. Even, dare I say it, a Danny Cipriani..?

You look at the teams who are in it - South Africa, England, Scotland, Wales, Kenya, New Zealand, Australia and Samoa too - terrific talent guaranteed like at any World Series event but with the added spice of a gold medal to play for - and an athlete's village to be part of. ?

Some of the pool draws are intriguing too, none more so that the England-Australia match-up on day one in the pools. England probably have the better pedigree in the Commonwealth Games, having won silver last time out, but it was Michael O'Connor's young men who finished this season on fire to pip both Fiji and England to third place overall, and win their first Cup for eight years.

Out of this world

?I wondered after Murrayfield's World Series climax whether there is a better spectator spectacle at international team sport level, particularly after the latter stages of that tournament. It was out of this world.

Even though the Scots had been knocked out of the Cup, no one moved from their seats for the semi finals. The quality, the skill levels and the fitness levels have never been higher and what makes it even more remarkable is that it all came at the end of a long hard season. If that can't captivate your imagination, what on earth will in team sport - it was superb. ?

?The other element that one must never forget is that Sevens retains that spirit of rugby that used to be there in 15s that I now think is largely gone. Built on the fact that the teams stay together, eat together and all those things, they have respect and friendship off the field.? ?For a rivalry that couldn't be more intensive on the field it is a wonderful combination and I think it will captivate the whole world in Delhi and become bigger by the season. ?

Let's not forget, too, how populous a country India is, and rich in sporting pedigree and passion. Most of it may be channelled towards cricket, but if just a few of those Sachin Tendulkar fans watch the Sevens and like what they see, the tournament will turn yet more people onto Sevens. After all, the likes of India will never compete in 15s on a world scale, but they've already been part of the World Series.

?I was looking at the final World Series table and thinking about what will happen when we start again in December. Looking at the top eight, who could dare predict what type of list it will be by the end of next season? Or by the time the next Commonwealth Games comes along in Glasgow in 2014.

??New Zealand knew they had the chance of winning the title this year in Scotland, and we knew they would battle for it, but for once they were beaten by Australia. They were still superb, maybe up to the point when Samoa won the overall title and something psychologically hit them and went out of their game. ? ?

They will be right up there, though, competing for their fourth consecutive gold medal come October, while Samoa will want to build on that first ever IRB Sevens World Series crown.

I'll be there commentating for TV and I can scarcely wait.