The World Rugby Sevens season gets underway next week with the first leg of the ten-legged series beginning in Dubai. Defending champions and 2017 Dubai Sevens winners South Africa are all set for the campaign and have a few senior players back from injury to boost their hopes of winning a third world title. CGTN's Sias du Plessis has more.

All eyes will be on South Africa this season as the reigning champions embark on a mission that only one other team has successfully managed to do in the history of sevens rugby, winning three consecutive world titles is a feat that only New Zealand have managed to do and it is an achievement that the Blitzbokke would love to emulate.

PHILIP SNYMAN SOUTH AFRICA CAPTAIN "I think it will be great to win three in a row, but then in the same breath I also want to mention that our goal is to win this world series and our goal is to be successful again, but leave that all aside, we need to focus on the right things and to achieve that, so our mindset and everything will be the same."

The return of players Branco du Preez and Kyle Brown have boosted the depth of the squad and left coach Neil Powell with a pleasant selection headache ahead of next weekend's Dubai tournament although he admits to having pre-tournament butterflies.

NEIL POWELL SOUTH AFRICA COACH "That first one is always difficult because you haven't played really a lot of tournaments before that. So you don't know where you are as a team and you also don't know where the other teams are and what they may be doing differently. There is no video footage that can prepare you for those games that you play against them."

In the past, the team has started well in Dubai and Cape Town and now the challenge is to maintain that intensity throughout the season into 2019.

ROSKO SPECMAN SOUTH AFRICA PLAYER "I think it is just because there is energy and everyone wants to go out there and have a good start, it is a new team and that is what I also like new guys coming up, exciting energy, you never know what they can do and that's why I say Dubai is the perfect start for everyone in the system."

SIAS DU PLESSIS STELLENBOSCH, SOUTH AFRICA "There certainly won't be a lack of motivation after a demanding pre-season and with some stalwarts returning from injury, they will be hungry to stake their claim in the side, there is added incentive this season not only to defend their global title, but the top four sides also book their place at the Olympics in 2020, Sias du Plessis, CGTN, Stellenbosch."