For 41 editions now the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens have been the centre of the game’s universe, the showcase that has gathered the faithful – on the field and off – for a weekend more annual pilgrimage now that simply a sports event.

Watch World Rugby’s video review of 2015 featuring a top-class selection of the year’s best Garryowens, grubbers, dummies and dumps from the Six Nations, Sevens World Series, Asia Rugby Championship, World U20s Trophy, Olympic qualifiers, Rugby Championship and, of course, the Rugby World Cup.

It was the NACRA Sevens men’s final everyone had hoped for Sunday in North Carolina, and the North Americans didn’t disappoint. The USA ran out 21-5 winners against Canada, booking a place at next year’s Rio Olympics alongside the USA women’s side, who had earlier crushed Mexico 88-0 in their qualifying decider.

The USA’s reputation as the most successful rugby nation in Olympic history will be on the line this weekend as the emerging force of the seven-a-side code attempt to book their tickets to Rio de Janeiro.

Fiji won the overall Sevens World Series crown on Sunday as the United States enjoyed a breakthrough success by taking the London Sevens title – the first time they have come out on top in a World Series Cup final.

Fiji head into the ninth and final round of this season's Sevens World Series in London eyeing a first overall title since 2006.

Fiji won the Glasgow Sevens, the penultimate round of this season’s HSBC Sevens World Series, by coming from behind to beat New Zealand 24-17 in Sunday's final in Scotland.

South Africa are out in front, but far from out of sight, as they continue their pursuit of a first Sevens World Series title in six years when the penultimate leg of this season’s tour takes place in Glasgow this weekend.

All Black number eight Kieran Read has turned down the opportunity to play for New Zealand in the rugby sevens tournament at next year's Rio Olympics.

Watch highlights from both days of the 2015 Japan Sevens in Tokyo, where England defeated South Africa 21-14 in the Cup final to leapfrog Australia into fourth place in the overall standings of the 2014-15 HSBC Sevens World Series.

One week after a disappointing showing at the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, Hong Kong earned the respect of the core rugby teams at the Tokyo leg of the HSBC Sevens World Series, according to HKRFU performance chief Dai Rees.

Hong Kong's Olympic qualifying campaign may have received the kind of kick-start it needed when the Asian sevens champions scored two tries in a losing cause against Fiji at the Japan Sevens on Saturday.

It will be all fast and furious for Hugo Stiles this weekend in Tokyo, but the youngster is happy to switch between sevens and 15s as he makes his debut with the senior team at the Japan Sevens.

Hong Kong under-20 captain Hugo Stiles will be thrown in at the deep end after being called up for this weekend's Japan Sevens in Tokyo, where coach Gareth Baber's squad have been drawn into pool A with the mighty Fiji, plus England and Wales.

After a tough season, Japan coach Tomohiro Segawa highlighted an inability to access the best players as a key reason behind his side's poor showing.

The glory days of Australian rugby sevens might be a distant memory for some and laughed off as pure myth by others but there were signs of life in the Green and Gold at the Hong Kong Sevens as they lifted the Plate with a 21-17 victory over the United States.

Battling to be the best of the beaten brigade, Scotland were more than happy to raise the Bowl on high after they dismantled France 26-5.

Fiji were untouchable as they swept to a popular 33-19 victory over New Zealand in the Cup final at the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens on Sunday night.

One seven-minute period of disjointed rugby ruined South Africa’s hopes of winning a maiden Hong Kong Sevens but the Blitzbokke still managed to cling to their lead atop the HSBC Sevens World Series standings after finishing third.

Wales coach Gareth Williams gave his team a strong ticking off after their 34-0 loss to Scotland in the semi-finals of the Bowl competition at the Hong Kong Sevens on Sunday.

Vladimir Ostroushko thought he had thrown away Russia’s Sevens World Series hopes when he dropped the ball in front of his own posts and allowed Zimbabwe’s Kuda Chiwanza to score for a 19-17 lead seconds before the final hooter.

The dream of joining the Sevens World Series ended for two more teams on Sunday as Papua New Guinea and pre-tournament favourites Spain were bundled out at the semi-final stage.

England and Australia are heading to the Plate competition, separated from their Cup quarter-final opponents by a single conversion. England were beaten 14-12 by Fiji in a testy encounter that featured a number of off-the-ball incidents, while Australia lost 7-5 to South Africa

Japan continued their struggles against the big boys of world rugby but put on a brave fight in losing 28-7 to Scotland in the quarter-finals of the Bowl competition on Sunday morning.

Let the records forever show that New Zealand did what they always seem to do - top their qualifying group at the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens.

Fiji coach Ben Ryan brought an air of caution with him to the post-mortem, a surprise considering his side had just crushed the life out of Canada 45-0 to remain unbeaten after two days of play at the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens on Saturday.

A devastated Hong Kong were left searching for answers after their campaign to win core status on the Sevens World Series ended in heartache on Saturday night.

A lack of running water for almost five hours at the height of the second day's play meant 40,000 revelers in need of relief had to flush facilities with buckets.