Completed at a whippet-pace with just seven-a-side on a full rugby field, rugby sevens is the game played in heaven on fast-forward.

Since the dawn of the inaugural season in 1999-2000, the cream of the rugby world's crop has competed for championship honours, with countries from all across the globe traversing it for the right to reign supreme.

So while games may be run and won within 14 minutes, the road to the dais is far more gruelling.

Given the size of the task at hand, it is little wonder why only five nations have been crowned champions in the competition's 25-year history.

From a perennial powerhouse transferring their dominance to the seven-man game to an electric threat from the Pacific, here are the five teams to have won the rugby sevens world championship since 1999.

Titles Team
14 New Zealand
4 Fiji
  South Africa
1 Australia
  Samoa