Shock results were once again on the cards at the weekend as the upsets from the IRB Sevens World Series events in Wellington and San Diego spilled into the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Dubai.

With Wales being crowned world champions and Scotland lifting the Plate title, the top nations will be looking to up their game ahead of the final event of the season – the Emirates Airline Edinburgh Sevens Festival at Murrayfield on 30 & 31 May.

As the Scotland squad returned home, coach Stephen Gemmell spoke of his excitement ahead of the final four events on the World Series.

“There were some real upsets in terms of results at the World Cup,” he said. “None of the previous World Champions made the Cup semi-finals so they will be looking to bounce back and lift the World Series title. Edinburgh will be the last chance for each side to show why they should be the best side in the World.

“New Zealand, Fiji, South Africa and England will all be hurting and will be looking to finish the year on a high.”

He continued: “It’s great to know that Murrayfield is the final event on the circuit. It’s a fantastic opportunity for the fans to come out and see the best sevens teams in the world, especially at the end of a World Cup year.

“For me personally, it’s been great to have been involved in a World Cup. As for the players, well they’ll get the opportunity to show the Scottish public that our performances, post the Canada match, weren’t a flash in the pan. We need to get that consistency and put on a show at our home tournament.”

Tickets for the Emirates Airline Edinburgh Sevens Festival are available now priced at £15 for adults, £10 for students and senior citizens and £5 for under 18s. To purchase, simply log onto www.scottishrugbytickets.com, call the Ticket Hotline on 0131 346 5100 (open 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday) or drop-in in person to the Murrayfield Ticket Centre (open 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday).

• The Rugby World Cup Sevens originated with a proposal by Scottish Rugby to the International Rugby Board (IRB). The inaugural tournament was held at Murrayfield in Edinburgh in April 1993.
• The fifth Rugby World Cup Sevens were held in Dubai on 5-7 March this year at a new purpose-build venue – ‘The Sevens’.
• The Emirates Airline Edinburgh Sevens Festival is the eighth and final leg of the IRB Sevens World Series. It will be held at Murrayfield on 30 and 31 May 2009.
• Tickets for each day of the Emirates Airline Edinburgh Sevens Festival - priced at £15 for adults, £10 for students and senior citizens and £5 for under 18s – are available to purchase by logging onto www.scottishrugbytickets.com, by calling the Ticket Hotline on 0131 346 5100 (open 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday) or in person from the Murrayfield Ticket Centre (open 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday).
• Rugby Sevens will be one of the showpiece events of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.