Only single seats remain available to the blockbuster Saturday session of the joint-men's and women's world series event at Allianz Stadium on February 4, which will feature the finals of the women's tournament and the group stages of the men's competition.

That means by the end of the week the only chance left to watch the women in action could be Friday February 3, when the gold medal-winning Pearls face off against arch rivals New Zealand in the women's group stages. The last time the two teams met, the Black Ferns had the last laugh with a tournament win in Dubai to avenge for their loss to Australia in the gold medal match at the Rio Olympics.

The Australians are aiming to steady their campaign to become back-to-back world series champions in Sydney, squaring off against New Zealand and other top teams England, Canada and Russia in their first tournament outing on home soil. They have been boosted by the continuing return of star Ellia Green, who was given the all-clear to return to contact last week after a shoulder reconstruction in September. Green, one of the fastest women on the world series circuit, is now on track to be available for selection in Sydney.

Ticket sales are also strong for the men's-only third day, which is being billed as the more family-friendly "Sunday session", with just 3000 seats remaining. Sales have been sluggish for day one, the women's group stages, according to an Australian Rugby Union spokesman.

Meanwhile, the Pearls hit news stands in an entirely different light on Monday, becoming what is believed to be the first sporting team to be featured in the pages of high-end glossy magazine Vogue Australia.

The February issue of the magazine features star players Charlotte Caslick, Alicia Quirk, Emma Tonegato, Chloe Dalton, Sharni Williams, Emilee Cherry and Shannon Parry in a beach setting, with an accompanying interview featuring coach Tim Walsh, players Caslick, Cherry, Dalton and Parry, plus Josephine Sukkar from major sponsor Buildcorp.