Eighteen years ago the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series first came to Dubai and with only hours to go until the women's teams get the 2018 season underway we take a look at some of the numbers from Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens history.

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  • 1 – Former New Zealand captain turned World Rugby commentator Karl Tenana scored the first ever series try in Dubai in a 14-0 defeat of Tonga on 2 October, 1999. Tricia Brown of Australia scored the first women’s series try in 2012, in a 24-12 win over the Netherlands

  • 2 – Only New Zealand and Australia have won the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens since the women’s series began in 2012-13. They’ve won in alternate years so if that sequence continues it will Australia’s turn to lift the trophy in 2017! Two other nations have reached the Dubai Cup final in South Africa (2012) and Russia (2015) 

  • 7 – The nations to have contested a men’s final in Dubai (New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa, South Africa, England, France and Australia). Only France and Australia haven’t lifted the trophy

  • 12 – The record for most tries in a single tournament in Dubai, set by former New Zealand star Orene Ai’i in 1999

  • 16 – The longest winning streak set by England from 2004-06 until South Africa beat them 19-0 in the Cup semi-finals

  • 16 – Number of women’s teams to have played in the Dubai round of the series. Those who won’t be taking part this year are Brazil, China, Tunisia and the Netherlands

  • 24 – Australia’s Emilee Cherry (main picture) holds the record for most tries scored in Dubai in the women’s series

  • 31 – Number of men’s teams to have played in the Dubai round of the series, from Australia to Zimbabwe

  • 33 – England's Dan Norton (pictured) has scored the most tries in Dubai on the men's series 

  • 129 – New Zealand have scored the most tries on the women’s series at 7he Sevens Stadium, but only just with Australia one behind.

  • 130 – Emilee Cherry also sits top for points scored in Dubai on the women’s series

  • 277 – Most points scored by an individual in Dubai in men’s series history, scored by who else but Ben Gollings of England?

  • 433 – Tries scored by New Zealand in the Dubai desert, the most by any team on the men’s series. Fiji are next best on 408 with defending champions South Africa third on 365

  • 905 – Tries scored in Dubai in five previous editions of the women’s series in Dubai

  • 4,360 – Tries scored in Dubai since the men’s series began in 1999-2000

  • 5,504 – Points scored in this round in women’s series history

  • 10,000 – The milestone try in the men's series was scored in Dubai on 4 December, 2003 when Richard Kapoma touched down for Zambia in their 33-14 loss to Kenya

  • 27,340 – Points scored in this round in men’s series history

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