17 Sep 2014

Sport: Draw made for Gold Coast Sevens

8:24 am on 17 September 2014

The draw has been made for next month's opening round of the new IRB World Seven's Series on the Gold Coast.

Samoa will play defending champions New Zealand, France and Japan on the first day of the new season.

Fiji have been drawn alongside hosts Australia, Scotland and Portugal while American Samoa will face Commonwealth Games gold medallists South Africa, Kenya and Wales.

The top four overall teams this season will earn direct qualification for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Interest is building in the upcoming season with a number of high-profile players, including ex All Blacks and Wallabies internationals, expected to capitalise on changes to eligibility laws, that enable players to switch countries after an 18 month stand-down, freeing them to play for a new nation at the Olympics or Rugby World Cup.