Dubai: Students from The English College, gathered to celebrate the 40-day countdown to the 40th Dubai Rugby Sevens, which begins on Saturday.
The Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens takes place at The Sevens venue from December 3-5.
The tournament has come a long way since its humble beginning way back in 1970 when a handful of players took to the sand pitch at a newly founded Dubai Exiles club.
The last 40 years have seen massive growth with the tournament moving to Emirates purpose-built venue.
Growing numbers
The Sevens, for last year's tournament which saw over 130,000 people streaming through the gates over the three-day event (making it the largest Sevens event in the world).
It's a far cry from the days when former Exiles Chairman, Jim Lees, first arrived in Dubai over 30 years ago.
"I arrived in Dubai the week after the Rugby Sevens in 1978 and played for the first time in the 1979 tournament," he explained. "It was always a growing tournament and it was always changing but there is no way we could have imagined how big the tournament would become," he added.
Lees boasts the remarkable record of having played in every Dubai Rugby Sevens tournament between 1979 and 2005.
"It was difficult in the beginning after I retired, not being on the pitch but there's plenty of good banter in the stands — it's great," he reckoned. Lees has attended every tournament since hanging up his boots in 2005 and plans to be back this December.
"Reaching the 40 year milestone is a great achievement for any event, let alone one in a relatively young city like Dubai. The Dubai Rugby Sevens has become a part of the fabric of Dubai over the years and something that people look forward to all year," said Gary Chapman, President Group Services and Dnata, Emirates Group.
"Emirates Airline came on board to sponsor the tournament in 1988 and we have relished playing an important part in the rich history of the event. We are greatly looking forward to celebrating our 40 year anniversary in 40 days time, and to many more successful years ahead," he added.
A special 40-year exhibition with photos, newspaper clips and other memorabilia has been planned. Emirates is also launching a 40th anniversary photo competition where members of the public are being invited to enter their favourite photos from the last 40 years of the tournament.
The winner will have their photo published in Gulf News and will win four season tickets to the tournament as well as the chance to meet one of the legends of the game, Emirates' Sports Ambassador, Lawrence Dallaglio.
