On the eve of the 2011 Gold Coast Sevens - Fever Pitch, the first round of the 2011/12 HSBC Sevens World Series, the anticipation is building for what will be yet another fascinating season of Sevens.
With three back-to-back tournaments to start, including two new venues and stadiums, the season is sure to get off to a flyer.
For one team in particular, who are competing in five of the nine rounds this season, they are already looking forward to welcoming the Series to their home, in the newest addition to this year's Series - Japan.
"We are going to participate in five tournaments, and we are certainly focusing on the one in Japan," said Japan Sevens Team Manager,Yashuhiro Iijima.
"This is the first tournament of the Series, for which we are very excited, but we are also excited to host a tournament in Japan for the first time since the 2000/01 Series.
"To hold a World Series tournament in Japan will be big, so as an organising committee we are preparing well and looking forward to hosting teams like New Zealand and Australia, the top players, and we are looking forward to seeing the top athletes."
Japan will host the seventh of nine tournaments on this year's World Series, on 31 March - 1 April 2012 at Tokyo's Prince Chichubu Stadium.
This tournament will be preceded by the 2012 Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens making an exciting double header for Rugby in Asia.
"Now there are two tournaments in Asia and people can now look at Rugby in Asia as a huge possibility to not only see it but also play it and this tournament will help the growth and development of the sport," added Iijima.
"At the moment we have just started to focus on Sevens Rugby in Japan, and I think the Olympic decision means that the number of people playing the sport in will now just get bigger and bigger."
