Dubai: The UAE will be in full celebration mode on December 2. Not only will the nation be celebrating the 40th anniversary of its birth, but the country's newly formed national Sevens rugby team will be making its debut appearance in its home tournament, the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens from December 1-3.
Following the UAE Rugby Association taking over the reins as the governing body of rugby in the UAE at the start of this year, this will be the first time that the players who formerly played alongside Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia as the Arabian Gulf will be playing as just one nation.
The December 1-3 event is likely to provide one of their toughest challenges to date, but it is one the players are relishing.
"It's really exciting to be part of a great event like the Dubai Rugby Sevens," said Yousuf Shaker, one of the Emirati players, whose brother Mohannad is also a seasoned Sevens player and hopeful member of this inaugural squad.
