Samoa 7s

That goal is to secure the 12th and final spot at the Olympic Games as the team to qualify through the repechage in June.

For Samoa, Canada and Russia, they are the three core sides heading to Monaco as the teams likely to battle it out for victory in the 16-team tournament.

But possibly the favourites after this weekend’s tournament in Singapore are Samoa. Damian McGrath’s side won the Plate for a second time this season, while Canada lost in the Shield semi-finals and Russia won their third consecutive Shield.

A number of big names have joined the World Series this season in the countdown to Rio, including All Blacks Sonny Bill Williams and Liam Messam, Springboks winger Bryan Habana and Australia's Quade Cooper.

Manu Samoa sevens coach Damian McGrath had hoped to call on some of Samoa's World Cup stars, such as Tim Nanai Williams, TJ Ioane and Paul Perez.

A new-look Samoan men's team finished third at the Oceania Championship in Auckland at the weekend, behind Australia and Tonga.

They will have one final chance to qualify for Rio at a global repechage tournament in June.

Damian McGrath says he wants the strongest team possible for that event and would love to be able to call on the likes of World Cup stars Paul Perez and Tim Nanai-Williams.