Format
The tournament consists of four round-robin pools of four teams. All sixteen teams progress to the knockout stage. The top two teams from each group progress to quarter-finals in the main competition, with the winners of those quarter-finals competing in Cup semi-finals and the losers competing in Plate semi-finals. The bottom two teams from each group progress to quarter-finals in the consolation competition, with the winners of those quarter-finals competing in Bowl semi-finals and the losers competing in Shield semi-finals.
Read more about this topic: 2009 Edinburgh Sevens