Dubai: This weekend’s 2014/15 HSBC Sevens World Series opener on Australia’s Gold Coast will raise excitement levels ahead of round two of the series in Dubai from December 4-6.

There’s even more at stake this season with the top four finishers in both the men’s and women’s World Series’ qualifying for rugby’s Olympic Games debut in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2016.

Dubai defending champions and one-time 2006 World Series winners Fiji are emerging as an early favourite, having beaten New Zealand 21-5 in the final of last week’s Oceania Sevens on Australia’s Sunshine Coast.

Fiji finished third in the overall series standings last season with 144 points, having followed up their first ever Dubai win with their second ever victory in Japan.

The Fijians have flourished under former England coach Ben Ryan’s guidance, and despite losing 2013 International Rugby Board (IRB) Sevens Player of the Year Samisoni Viriviri to Top 14 side Montpellier, Ryan believes they can challenge for overall honours this season.

Ryan has set a minimum of 150 points this season to guarantee his side a spot at the Olympics and has introduced contracts and bonuses to stop players from moving abroad. The scheme has even tempted fifteens players like Eminoni Nasilasila to convert to sevens.

“Hopefully we can hit those 150 series points as quickly as we can to be guaranteed that we are on the plane to Rio,” said Ryan. “I’m not going to fall to bits if we don’t win the Gold Coast 7s but I still want to see progress and that means having some good victories and playing well.”

Four-time Gold Coast winners Fiji have drawn hosts Australia, Scotland and Portugal in Pool C this weekend. Geraint John’s Wallabies are expected to give this season their all with John labelling the campaign: “more important than any year we’ve ever known in sevens.”

Australia finished fifth last season and failed to win a leg of the series, but John will be looking to remedy that at home this weekend, where his side have only previously won once in 2002.

Record 12-time series champions and current holders New Zealand will also be keen to avenge their defeat by Fiji at the Oceania Sevens last week.

The All Blacks are in Pool A against recent Asian Games champions Japan, Samoa and France, this weekend.

Commonwealth Games champions and last year’s World Series’ runners-up South Africa will be the danger in Pool B with Wales, Kenya and America Samoa. Meanwhile, Pool D sees last year’s fourth-placed team England take on Canada, the USA and Argentina.

Tickets for the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens go on sale on October 15. For more information visit dubairugby7s.com.