Samoan 7s rugby coach Rudolf Moors has named Uale Mai, as his captain for the Rugby World Cup 7s tournament in Dubai next month.

Mai is one of the veteran players in the side while winger Mikaele Pesamino has been dropped because of a knee injury.

Alo named in the final 12 man squad for Samoa are Lolo Lui, Simaika Mikaele and Ofisa Treviranus while there are three new players that will make the debut.

For the past two seasons Samoa have finished third in the IRB 7s World series, behind New Zealand and Fiji and then New Zealand and South Africa, but so far this year they have failed to reproduce the same levels of performance.

Four years ago, at the last Rugby World Cup 7s in Hong Kong, the Samoans bounced back from the disappointment of missing out on a Cup quarterfinal place by beating Portugal in the Plate final 29-7.