Dubai: The home-grown Super 6s touch rugby league is set to hold its inaugural Touch Championships on February 8 at Al Habtoor Polo Club, Dubai, and will be one of the UAE’s largest touch competitions of its kind to date.
Building on the success of the Super 6s League, which was launched in September 2017 and is the only Federation of International Touch-affiliated league in Dubai, the Championships is in response to the sport’s continued growth in popularity and a desire to help support the momentum to establish Dubai as a Touch hub in the region.
Victoria Hepworth, Partner at Corporate Affair Event Management and organiser of Super 6s, says: “We’re very positive about the potential for touch to keep growing strongly in Dubai this year. Our Super 6s League has grown substantially from 16 to 32 teams of men’s, women’s, mixed and vets’ players in just over 12 months and highlights the popularity of the sport.
“It seemed only natural to take the league one step further and develop a tournament to both showcase the expertise and advanced levels of touch being played in Dubai, and also to encourage more competition and skill-sharing by inviting international teams to participate. We feel strongly that this event will also help develop the region’s credibility and reputation as a key player on the international touch scene — which is huge.”
A key aspect of the Super 6s league is the training and development of its referees, of which there is a real shortage in Dubai.
Hannah Lear, 15, is a regular referee at the Super 6s league matches every Tuesday evening. “Being a touch ref is an excellent way to develop your skills both as a ref and also as a player, where you’re able to use your knowledge of the rules to your advantage,” she said. “Although it’s a lot harder than it looks, I feel highly valued and respected by all players and would recommend more girls and women take it up. The ref community is really friendly and welcoming and I’m proud to be a part of it all.”
The Super 6s League 1 taps-off on 8 January and runs every Tuesday evening until March 26. For more information and to register teams, please visit super6s-dubai.com
