Fiji legend Serevi to inspire Emiratis at Dubai Rugby Sevens

HSBC rugby ambassadors, Lewis Moody (England), Waisale Serevi (Fiji) and Nathan Sharpe (Australia) are set to attend the second leg of the Sevens World Series in Dubai on December 4-6.

The three legends will be on hand to meet and mingle with fans, whilst lending their support to young players at the event.

Lewis Moody, a Rugby World Cup winner with England and decorated British and Irish Lion, spent time in the UAE earlier this year but this will be his first experience of the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens.

“I am very excited to be coming back to attend my first Sevens event in Dubai. I have heard many wonderful things about the event out here but have yet to experience the fun, excitement and above all the great rugby that this world famous tournament has to offer,” said the 36-year-old former England captain.

Moody was in Dubai in January 2014 to support the next generation of rugby stars at the HSBC Rugby Festival Dubai. He was impressed by the performance of UAE teams that competed at the festival then and is looking forward to witnessing another milestone in UAE rugby next month – the UAE National Schoolboys Tournament.

Eight teams, part of the HSBC-backed UAE Rugby Player Pathway Programme, composed entirely of Emirati players are set to compete for glory at this year’s Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens where they will play on pitch 1 in front of 40,000 spectators.

A true Sevens hero who is famous for his beguiling sidestep, Waisale Serevi, is expected in Dubai later this month to host a series of rugby coaching sessions for the all-Emirati teams competing at the Dubai Rugby Sevens.

HSBC Sevens World Series’ fourth highest points scorer has fond memories of playing in Dubai himself.

“I played at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in 2005 and 2006 and it is an amazing tournament for the players. The energy on the field, the support from the stands and the great people I’ve met here over the years make this Sevens World Series leg very special.”

His goose step, creativity and his knack for transforming from a stroll to jinking untouchable in a blink made him the king of Sevens for most of two decades. Serevi will be sharing his expertise with Emirati players at the end of this month as part of HSBC’s season long partnership with Serevi Rugby which aims to introduce and grow the sport in the next two years ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

“With the HSBC and Serevi Rugby partnership, we are introducing a new swath of kids to rugby; showing them how to improve their lives through rugby no matter their ability; and giving back to a sport that has given us so much,” added Serevi.

Flying in from the Southern Hemisphere is former Australian captain, Nathan Sharpe. Known as one of the greatest locks ever to play for Australia, Sharpe has enjoyed extensive success throughout his career including winning the John Eales Medal in 2006 and 2012, an award given to Australia’s best player. With 116 tests to his name, he is in the top 6 most capped Australian players of all time. 

Speaking ahead of his visit to the UAE, Sharpe said: “We’ve got an action-packed weekend planned for us and I’m thrilled to be there with Lewis and Wais. Alongside Hong Kong, Dubai has rightly built a reputation as one of the top destinations on the Sevens circuit so I can’t wait to experience it for myself next month.”
 

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