DUBAI: Emirates Dubai 7s is set to host the world’s biggest international sevens tournament with the addition of HSBC SVNS 3 to the schedule next month.  Meanwhile, in the HSBC SVNS, New Zealand will begin the defense of the titles they won in Dubai last year against Fiji (men) and Japan (women). This follows the announcement of the fixtures and pools for the event taking place at the Sevens Stadium from Nov. 27 to 29, ahead of the UAE National Day holiday. As the third tier of the international rugby sevens competition, HSBC SVNS 3 gives promising nations the opportunity to progress to HSBC SVNS 2, HSBC SVNS, and ultimately a pathway to Olympic qualification. Mathew Tait, festival director of Emirates Dubai 7s, said recently in a press release: “The addition of HSBC SVNS 3 to this year’s Emirates Dubai 7s for the first time is a particularly significant milestone for the event and its overall evolution.  “This will be the world’s biggest international sevens tournament, with 28 teams from around the world competing across HSBC SVNS and HSBC SVNS 3, and 70 matches taking place over the course of the weekend. “This gives us a sense of enormous pride and firmly reinforces our commitment to growing the game. We can’t wait for fans to experience what promises to be a truly special weekend.” In addition to HSBC SVNS and HSBC SVNS 3, this year’s Emirates Dubai 7s features amateur competitions for men and women across rugby, netball presented by Dubai Holdings Community Management, cricket presented by Dulsco Group, Rebound Padel, WODON3 fitness, and Gaelic football, which makes its debut at this year’s festival. Additionally, the International Invitational rugby tournaments have been enhanced with representation from international teams including Argentina, Brazil, China, South Africa and Spain. The Dubai 7s marks the opening leg of the HSBC SVNS 2026/2027 Series, with tournaments to follow in Cape Town, Singapore, Perth, Vancouver and New York. The HSBC SVNS World Championship 2027 then takes place, during April and May, in Hong Kong, Valladolid and Bordeaux. With the HSBC SVNS 3 tournament set to begin on Friday Nov. 27, on pitch one, international SVNS rugby will be played on the opening day of Emirates Dubai 7s for the first time. Pitch one will also host the HSBC SVNS 3 finals on Saturday Nov. 28. All SVNS fixtures across the weekend will take place on pitch one with the men’s and women’s competitions made up of the best eight teams in the world. In the men’s tournament, South Africa, last season’s series winners, are joined in Pool A by Australia, beaten finalists in Dubai last year, along with Argentina and the US. Pool B, meanwhile, sees Emirates Dubai 7s defending champions, New Zealand, drawn alongside Fiji, Spain and France. New Zealand, last season’s series champions and Emirates Dubai 7s winners, are undoubtedly the women’s team to beat, with the All Blacks drawn alongside Fiji, Japan and Canada in Pool B, while Pool A features Australia, France, Spain and the US. The women’s competition kicks off with the US taking on Spain at 10 a.m., while New Zealand open their campaign against Japan at 11 a.m. The new HSBC SVNS 3 tournament features six men’s and six women’s teams, which secure qualification through regional competitions around the world. Like HSBC SVNS, teams compete in pool stages before progressing to knockout matches, with the top-two men’s and women’s teams securing promotion to HSBC SVNS 2, which takes place across three rounds in Nairobi, Sao Paolo and Montevideo early in 2027. The men’s HSBC SVNS 3 competition will be contested by Hong Kong China, Canada, Chile, Italy, Samoa and Zimbabwe, while China, Mexico, Poland, Samoa and Colombia have secured their spot in the women’s competition, with one more team set to qualify.  World Rugby Sevens World Series General Manager Sam Pinder said: “The return of HSBC SVNS 3 to Dubai is another important moment for the development of international rugby sevens and our ambition to create meaningful opportunities for more nations to compete on the global stage. “Bringing HSBC SVNS 3 together with HSBC SVNS provides a fantastic platform to showcase the depth of talent across the game, from teams looking to take the next step to the world’s best competing at the highest level. “With promotion to HSBC SVNS 2 at stake, there is plenty to play for, and we’re looking forward to an exciting weekend of rugby sevens in Dubai.” Mohammed Alzaabi, secretary-general of the UAE Rugby Federation, said: “We are proud to be part of Emirates Dubai 7s, an iconic event that continues to strengthen Dubai’s position as a leading global destination for rugby. “The addition of HSBC SVNS 3 marks an exciting milestone, creating more opportunities for emerging rugby nations to compete on the international stage.”