Rugby 7s: The Essentials

Last Updated: Monday, September 13, 2010 | 7:58 PM ET

By Jesse Campigotto, CBC Sports

Samoa's Mikaele Pesamino ran roughshod over opponents this season in the Sevens World Series. (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Fast-paced, high-scoring, democratic and almost instantly gratifying: the ascendant sport of rugby sevens seems tailor-made for the times.

Introduced to the Commonwealth Games in 1998, the game has quickly become a staple, earning core-sport status. Another sign it's on the rise: rugby sevens will make its Olympic debut in 2016 in Rio.

What's the difference between rugby and rugby sevens? It's all in the name. Seven players are on the field for each team instead of 15, and halves last seven minutes instead of 40. With matches starting and ending in the blink of an eye, an entire tournament can be played over a weekend — the 2010 Commonwealth competition will be decided over just two days at Delhi University — while the amount of scoring remains comparable to a full rugby match because there's much more room for players to manoeuvre.

The smaller roster sizes make it easier for more countries to compete with traditional rugby powers like New Zealand, Australia and England.

The rest of the rules are pretty much the same as those for traditional rugby, with a few notable exceptions: the team that scores kicks off, rather than the conceding team; three players from each team are involved in scrums, instead of eight; and conversion attempts must be drop-kicked (there's no option to place-kick).

So who's the best at this new-fangled game? Big surprise: it's New Zealand, an international rugby powerhouse and the only country to finish in the top three at the Rugby World Cup four times. The Kiwis' rugby dominance has translated to sevens, where they've won each of the three Commonwealth tournaments with a perfect record.

So why is sevens considered more democratic? Well, Fiji, has captured three Commonwealth medals — two more than England, Australia and South Africa, who have all won World Cup titles.

Another bonus: rugby is a sport dominated by Commonwealth countries, so the level of play in Delhi should be excellent as 16 teams — all men's — compete for gold.

Canada, the lone representative from North and Central America and the Caribbean, drew a tough group that includes New Zealand, Scotland (which invented the game) and Guyana.

South Africa heads Pool B, which also includes Wales, Tonga and host India; Samoa tops Pool C, joined by Kenya, Uganda and Papua New Guinea; and Pool D features England, Australia, Namibia and Sri Lanka.

Who to watch

Mikaele Pesamino (Samoa): The 6-foot-2, 200-pound speedster ran roughshod over the competition in this season's Sevens World Series — a worldwide collection of tournaments between national teams. In eight tourneys, Pesamino piled up 56 tries — an astounding 23 more than the next-highest scorer — to lead Samoa to the top of the overall standings.

Sean Duke (Canada): The six-foot-four, 196-pound Vancouverite led the Canadian team in tries by a wide margin this season, scoring 16 combined in regular-season, playoff and exhibition play. No one else tallied more than nine.

When to watch

Day 9 (Oct. 12)

• Gold and bronze medal matches.