The Scotland 7s team will face IRB Sevens World Series leaders New Zealand at the next to events in Adelaide (19-21 March) and Hong Kong (26-28 March).

Speaking about the draw, Scotland 7s coach Stephen Gemmell said: “New Zealand are leading the Series and are the only top team we've never beaten so it’s going to be challenging to have them on successive weekends.

“All our opponents in Adelaide and Hong Kong are very physical and direct in their approaches to the game.”

 In addition to the stern test posed by all their Pool opponents, Gemmell believes the contact area will continue to be a vital aspect of the game.

“The contact area will be massive for us if we're to stand a chance. The key thing is we need to be much more consistent in all aspects of our game and ensure we get as strong a squad as possible for the next two tournaments, both of which are over three intense days.”

IRB Adelaide Sevens, Pool A: New Zealand, Argentina, Scotland, Tonga

Scotland’s fixture on day one (Friday 19 March) of the IRB Adelaide Sevens:
New Zealand v Scotland, 7.28pm local time (5.58am GMT on Sat 20 March)

Scotland’s fixtures on day two (Saturday 20 March) of the IRB Adelaide Sevens:
Argentina v Scotland, 4.05pm local time (2.35am GMT on Sunday 21 March)
Scotland v Tonga, 6.10pm local time (4.40am GMT on Sunday 21 March)

IRB Hong Kong Sevens, Pool B: New Zealand, Scotland, France, Chinese Taipei

Scotland’s fixture on day one (Friday 26 March) of the IRB Hong Kong Sevens:
Scotland v France, 7.32pm local time (3.32am GMT on Saturday 27 March)

Scotland’s fixtures on day two (Saturday 27 March) of the IRB Hong Kong Sevens:
Scotland v Chinese Taipei, 10.52am local time (6.52pm GMT)
New Zealand v Scotland, 5.28pm local time (1.28am GMT on Sunday 28 March)