By Andrew Baldock, PA Sport Rugby Union Correspondent

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Rugby union takes centre stage at the Commonwealth Games tonight - with reigning champions New Zealand clear favourites for gold.

While the likes of England, Fiji, South Africa and Australia all harbour realistic medal ambitions, New Zealand's gifted squad will take some stopping.

Led once again by legendary sevens exponent Eric Rush, the men in black look unbeatable.

Rush, together with Roger Randle, Bruce Reihana and Amasio Valence, are gold medal survivors from Malaysia four years ago, and such were the riches available to coach Gordon Tietjens, that he couldn't even find room in his 12-man squad for gifted sevens performer Dallas Seymour.

"I am satisfied that I have got the fittest and best team available to me," said Tietjens, ahead of tonight's Pool A opener against Canada at the City of Manchester Stadium.

"Everyone that took part in our trials for these Games would make an international side somewhere in the world."

New Zealand's record in the International Rugby Board World Sevens Series - a clear form guide for the three-day Games tournament - suggests there can only be one realistic winner.

In the three years of IRB world sevens, their winning ratio stands at a remarkable 92, averaging 32 points and five tries a game.

New Zealand have also won 18 of the 24 IRB tournament finals they have played in - another staggering statistic which underlines what a colossal task their rivals face.

The Manchester entry list reads like a who's who of sevens rugby - the Kiwis, Fiji and their mesmeric leader Waisale Serevi, together with established world powers such as England, South Africa and Australia.

Wasps hooker Phil Greening is the man entrusted with spearheading England's glory bid - and he is in no mood to let the moment pass him by.

"This is one of the biggest rugby moments of my career - I am just so excited about the whole thing," he said.

"I've had a horrible 12 months, and hopefully this is now the start of a new leg of my life. To be involved in something like the Commonwealth Games is unbelievable.

"It is such a contrast from last year's Lions tour of Australia, when injury left me feeling down in the gutter. Now I feel as though I am on top of the world, rubbing shoulders with some of the greatest athletes in the world.

"It is going to be a massive step up from the IRB series," he claimed.

"In terms of intensity, I think the Games sevens will be quite close to Test rugby. The teams assembled here are the best in the world, and it is going to be like a World Cup."

England should top their qualifying group ahead of Samoa, the Cook Islands and rank outsiders Kenya, which would set up a Saturday night quarter-final, probably against Australia or Fiji.

Elsewhere, New Zealand and South Africa also seem last-eight certainties, with the remaining places likely to be contested by Scotland, Canada, Wales, Tonga and Samoa.

The action begins at 5pm today, with all competing countries playing their opening two group games, and concludes some five hours later when Wales and Tonga clash in a potentially pivotal pool B encounter.

Pool A: New Zealand, Scotland, Canada, Niue Island.

Pool B: South Africa, Wales, Tonga, Sri Lanka.

Pool C: England, Samoa, Cook Islands, Kenya.

Pool D: Fiji, Australia, Malaysia, Trinidad & Tobago.