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That is, of course, in no small part down to the fact that the season reaches its climax shortly before the giant festivity that is Rio 2016, rugby sevens’ first Olympic Games. It will be fascinating to see the likes of Sonny Bill Williams, Bryan Habana, Damian de Allende, Quade Cooper, Henry Speight and Santiago Cordero throw their hats in the ring and undergo the months of speed endurance, weight-shedding and training.But it is also down to the lofty status that the sport of sevens has now reached in its own right with cities, broadcasters and commercial partners around the world seeking involvement more than ever.Five of the 10 destinations on the men’s series are new with Sydney, Cape Town, Vancouver, Singapore and Paris joining a jaw-dropping global list also featuring Dubai, Wellington, Las Vegas, Hong Kong and London. Meanwhile in the women’s game the series also kicked off in Dubai with further rounds in Sao Paulo, Atlanta, Langford, Canada and the new stop in Clermont-Ferrand, France.In the run-up to the new season, World Rugby announced a four-year extension of its significant partnership with HSBC as title 52 WORLD RUGBY YEAR IN REVIEW 2015LEFTThe Women’s Sevens Series returns to Sao Paulo in 2016PICTUREDRugby World Cup winner Sonny Bill Williams could be one of the star names in Rio de JaneiroThe 2015-16 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series for both men and women have more star names, more dazzling venues, more broadcast hours and are set to reach more fans than ever before.sponsor for both the men’s and women’s series, while DHL, the official logistics partner of Rugby World Cup 2015, also furthered its commitment to World Rugby in becoming a sevens series global partner for the first time. “HSBC became the first-ever title sponsor of the men’s world series back in 2010, and we are excited to not only be extending this partnership for another four years, but also to become the first-ever title sponsor of the increasingly popular women’s world series,” said Giles Morgan, Global Head of Sponsorship and Events, HSBC Holdings. “The Olympic decision has served as a tremendous catalyst for the growth of sevens around the world, not just in participation but also through the popularity of the HSBC Sevens World Series in recent years.”With HSBC installed as title sponsor, DHL’s support also includes logistics provision across the series. “Our partnership with the HSBC Sevens World Series reaffirms our commitment to a sport which shares many of DHL’s core values, such as teamwork, passion and a will to win,” said Ken SEVENS SET FOR GAME-CHANGING YEARWORLD IN UNION | SEVENS PREVIEW