South Africa Sevens coach Paul Treu believes that winning the IRB Sevens Series depends on how well a team starts in the opening leg in Dubai this weekend.

Treu said current defending champion Samoa and New Zealand set out their campaigns last season well when they reached the final of the Dubai Sevens last year.

Treu added that when they lost to Fiji in the quarterfinals last year in Dubai, he knew that it would be difficult for them to come back and defend the IRB Sevens Series.

He said not many people will have seen many of the names in his squad list but he is happy with that as Sevens coaches, they are in the business of building the stars of the future, not relying on established household names.