The men's tournament will commence with the Pool C clash between Samoa and Zimbabwe at 3pm on Friday June 28, followed up by the other opening game in the pool between the Philippines and Kenya.

Wales will embark on their title defence in the sixth game of the day against Uruguay in Pool E, just before neighbours England take on Portugal in Pool F and Argentina face Hong Kong in the other pool fixture, prior to a half-hour Opening Ceremony.

The final game of the opening first day fixtures will see Scotland face Japan in Pool B.

Day two promises a ten-hour day of Sevens with many potentially spectacular fixtures, including Fiji v Wales, Australia v France, South Africa v Scotland, bookies favourites New Zealand against the United States and England taking on 2009 runners-up Argentina.

Day three will determine which team will be taking home the prized silverware as the business-end of the tournament commences, with the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the plate, bowl and cup competitions all taking place, all leading up to the showpiece Melrose Cup final at 8.55 PM.

England will face 2009 runners-up Argentina in one of the most attractive-looking fixtures on Day Two

New Zealand are the favourites to clinch the World Cup with British bookmakers, best-priced at 9/4, with South Africa following at 4/1 and England, Fiji and Samoa all priced at 13/2 in third.

Defending champions Wales are rated at 25/1 to retain their title, with odds of a staggering 1,000-1 offered on massive outsiders Hong Kong, Tunisia and the Philippines.

All men's matches will take place at Moscow's iconic 80,000-capacity Luzhniki Stadium, which hosted the 1980 Moscow Olympics and the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final, and is due to host the IAAF World Athletics Championships this year before being extended to hold around 90,000 spectators for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

The opening women's matches will take place at nearby Gorodok on Saturday June 29, with New Zealand taking on Tunisia in the Pool A opener, before Canada take on the Netherlands in the other Pool match.

Reigning champions Australia will take on China in the third game of the day in their first Pool B fixture, with South Africa v Ireland completing the first round of ties in the pool.

The final pool games will take place at the Luzhniki Stadium, before quarter-final and semi-final action returns to Gorodok on Sunday morning, leading up to the finals, set to be held at Luzhniki on Sunday evening.

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