UAE Rugby to stage Afro-Asia Rugby Sevens Tournament

UAE Rugby has announced the launch of the Afro-Asia Rugby Sevens tournament, a new international event.

It is supported by the Dubai Sports Council, ARFU (Asian Rugby Football Union), IRB (International Rugby Board) and will be held under the patronage of Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, president of the UAE National Olympic Committee.

The tournament has been devised by the A UAE Rugby Federation (UAERF) to act as a valuable addition to ARFU and the IRB’s developing Unions calendar.

Through the Sevens game, it encourages neighbouring unions to participate in a more competitive level of cross border competition aimed at developing their fitness and skills.

An underlying goal of the tournament is to attract the Emirati population along with the expatriate rugby-loving masses, and to enhance their engagement of the sport.

Eight teams from Asian and African continents will participate in the inaugural tournament, to be held on December 12-13 this year, where the UAERF will drive the nominations of the four Asian teams (agreed mutually with ARFU) and the Confederation Africaine Rugby (CAR) responsible for nominations of the four African teams. 

“UAERF has come a long way to achieve successes in all elements of the sport. As the national governing body in the UAE we run the sport in a different devised way from how other majority of unions do. We innovate, we commit ourselves to be passionate about the sport of rugby and in a very short period of time we have become a role model union in Asia,” said UAERF Secretary General Qais Al Dhalai. 

“We are delighted to have a packed 2014-2015 rugby calendar," he added thanking Sheikh Ahmed for his patronage of the Afro-Asia tournament.

With Rugby’s 7-a-side format being an Olympic sport, commencing with the 2016 games, this tournaments fits perfectly into the federation’s Olympic pathway strategy, which follows the IOC rule stating only passport holders, of the respective country, can represent that country in any tournament or games that are held under IOC governance.

UAERF’s strategy to develop and put forward a Sevens team that can be considered to represent the UAE at IOC governed games starts at the grassroots Emirati school students level, and focuses on three phases.

First is to teach Tag rugby (for 8 to 10 years), followed by Touch rugby (10 years old to 12-13-14 years) culminating in the contact sport of Tackle rugby.

This grassroots strategy then moves into three main development streams.

The successful HSBC Player Pathway Programme, which is part of the Emirati schools curriculum and, where currently, over 3,000 students in state schools participate.

The Dubai Airports Shaheen programme - focusing on Emirati students who have finished school and are yet to play in a representative team. And, finally, the Emirates Airline UAE Representative National Teams – being seniors, U20 and U15-19 sides.

“Surely by having this tournament, players who are in the Dubai Airports Shaheen programme, who have successfully graduated from the HSBC Player Pathway Programme, will have a chance to represent the country in the Afro-Asia Sevens tournament,” Al Dhalai said.

“This is a ground breaking achievement by the UAERF,” added Salman Hadi vice-president UAERF. “We are working with excitement to make the tournament a showpiece of the UAERF capabilities in organising such an iconic events.”



 

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