Rugby World Cup Limited has confirmed the location details for the Rugby World Cup Sevens (RWC) 2009 qualifying tournaments that will take place this year, the International Rugby Board (IRB) has announced. The Uruguay men's team and the Brazil women's side booked their place at next year's RWC Sevens event in Dubai earlier this year, but another seven tournaments in 2008 will provide the 14 remaining teams for the men's competition and fill the 15 remaining spots for the women's tournament.

The action resumes with the European women's Tournament in Limoges (France) on June 14-15, with further regional RWC Sevens qualifying tournaments hosted across five continents before qualifying climaxes in the Bahamas on October 24-25 when the final men's and women's teams will be confirmed from North America. Hanover in Germany (on July 12-13) will host the European men's event, Samoa (on July 25-26) will hold the Oceania men's and women's tournaments and Uganda (on September 20-21) will look after the Africa women's event. The Asia men's and women's tournaments will take place in Hong Kong on October 4-5, and the Africa men's event will be held in Tunisia on October 24-25 before the final Sevens competition of the year in the Bahamas.

'RWC Sevens 2009 in Dubai will make history as the first to incorporate a women's RWC Sevens tournament,' said IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset. 'The competition, which will comprise 16 teams, will consist entirely of teams that have confirmed their place through the regional qualifying structures. In total, 82 women's Unions will have participated in the qualifying process.'