The Melrose Cup tournament was first proposed to the International Rugby Board by the Scottish Rugby Union and the inaugural event was hosted at Murrayfield in 1993.

The competition decides the winner of the Melrose Cup, named after the Scottish town in which sevens originated in 1883. The tournament was hosted by Hong Kong in 1997, in Mar del Plata, Argentina in 2001 and Hong Kong again in 2005. Dubai will play host to the 2009 finals.