From sand pitches with lime-powder lines to 6,000 players and Stormzy on stage - Dubai Sevens 54 years on

The Middle East’s longest running annual sports event keeps getting better and bigger

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  An early Dubai Rugby Sevens tournament, started by the Dubai Exiles RFC. The tournament was birthed in 1970, when the host club, Dubai Exiles, invited sides to play a competition in rugby’s abridged format. The invitees included teams from the British armed forces, who were happy for the break from garrison duties in what was then the Trucial States. The Exiles were the leading force in the early years of Gulf rugby. Courtesy Peter Thomas

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  Dubai Exiles ar Rugby Sevens, December 1981. France have never won the Sevens. The closest they have got was when Les Bleus lost the 2011 final to England. But French hands have been on the Emirates International Trophy before, when Toulouse won the main competition in 1990.Courtesy: Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens

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  The first Dubai sevens games were played on sand pitches. Courtesy Peter Thomas

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  France have never won the Sevens. The closest they have got was when Les Bleus lost the 2011 final to England. But French hands have been on the Emirates International Trophy before, when Toulouse won the main competition in 1990. ALLSPORT/ Getty

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  Some people get wistful about the old days of playing on sand. Others only remember the pain. “It was like playing in flour with bits of brick in it,” Mike Jackson, a former Dubai Hurricanes player, said of the experience. “Then you would get nicks and cuts that would go septic.” ALLSPORT/ Getty

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  The tournament was played on sand up until 1995, when the pitches at the old Dubai Exiles ground were turfed thanks to huge investment by Emirates Airline. In the last final on sand in 1994, South Korea beat the Warblers 21-20. ALLSPORT

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  Dubai was one of the legs of the new World Sevens Series formed in 1999. Even though both the event and the series have become increasingly formalised since, the best known faces are often to be seen with the amateur teams on the outside fields. Like in 2006, when the reigning world player of the year Dan Carter was waterboy for Stefan’s BHF.

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  The tournament relocated from its original home in Al Awir to a new purpose-built site further into the desert in 2008. The new Sevens Stadium played host to that year’s Sevens, and also staged the format’s World Cup in 2009.

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  The tournament relocated from its original home in Al Awir to a new purpose-built site further into the desert in 2008. The new Sevens Stadium played host to that year’s Sevens, and also staged the format’s World Cup in 2009.

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  Nobody has tasted success in the international tournament at the Sevens more often than coach Ben Ryan. The Londoner oversaw wins with England in 2010 and 2011, then with Fiji in 2013 and 2015.

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  Nobody has tasted success in the international tournament at the Sevens more often than coach Ben Ryan. The Londoner oversaw wins with England in 2010 and 2011, then with Fiji in 2013 and 2015.

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  Rarely have more stars shared a field at the Sevens than when union royalty J9 Legends faced rugby league all-stars Joining Jack in the Vets event in 2013. It pitted the likes of Carlos Spencer, Stephen Larkham and Waisale Serevi against Jason Robinson and Andy Farrell. Jake Badger for The National

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  J9 Legends made the final that season, but were beaten by Xodus Steelers in a classic encounter on Pitch 1. It was memorable less for the match, as the emotional scenes after, when J9 captain Serevi pushed Joost van der Westhuizen, who was stricken by motor neuron disease, through a guard of honour. Jake Badger for The National

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  A year earlier, in 2012, Joining Jack had a celebrity fanboy running on water for their players. Bradley Wiggins had recently won the Tour de France and Olympic Gold, and was days away from being named BBC Sports Personality of the Year. A knighthood was in the offing, too.

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  Joining Jack, a charity side that raises awareness of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, do a good line in celebrity fans. In 2015, Owen Farrell struck a notable figure on the sideline, while supporting father Andy in the Vets tournament.

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  One of the greats of England rugby, Maggie Alphonsi, played for Tribe 7s in the Invitational Open in 2014. “Maggie the Machine” was not the only World Cup-winner on the outside fields that season, either. Steve Thompson, the hooker for the 2003 champions England, played for Gulf Legends in the International Vets. Satish Kumar / The National

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  In 2015, former Scotland wing Thom Evans danced past a load of defenders to score a try for UR7s Wanderers in the International Open on Pitch 2. It was his first touch of the ball on his return to the game after five years out with a serious neck injury while on international duty. Victor Besa for The National

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  Perhaps the most poignant victory in all 50 years of Dubai Sevens tournaments came in 2017, when Speranza 22 won the final of the International Invitational. The team had been set up in memory of Marcos Speranza, who had won the Gulf Under 19 title with Abu Dhabi Harlequins but later died in an air crash in his native Argentina. Courtesy Rory Greene

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  The Al Maha team made history when they competed in the Gulf U18 Girls tournament by becoming the first all-Emirati female side to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens. Antonie Robertson / The National

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  Dubai Hurricanes’ bid for a hat-trick of Gulf Men’s League trophies will have to wait until next year. They won back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  The incredible 50-year journey of Dubai Rugby Sevens embodies the spirit of the city. Victor Besa / The National

What would the pioneers of the Dubai Sevens have made of it now? They would have at least known all about grime, although perhaps not in the 2024 sense of the word.

When the Middle East’s longest running annual sports event started back in 1970, in the year before the formation of the UAE, the majority of players were British servicemen. Supporters at the invitational sevens tournament in the desert sat in the backs of lorries, or stood on the touchline.

Players arrived ready dressed, given the lack of changing facilities. Before the final, a Land Rover would be driven up and down the pitch to smooth it out and the lines were remarked using lime powder.

The tournament was played on sand up until 1995. Some players would wear high-topped basketball shoes to try to limit the amount of sand that could get inside. Others played barefoot. Knee protectors were de rigueur. And iodine was liberally applied to prevent infections from the grime that would get into cuts and scrapes.

How times change. This weekend, the thousands of players involved – from as disparate origins as Ukraine, Israel, Georgia and Monaco – will have the run of immaculately kept grass fields. And the weekend will culminate with a performance from a multi-award-winning grime artist.

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  Dewald Human of South Africa, centre, after their World Series Men’s Final victory over Argentina at Dubai Sevens. All photos: Ruel Pableo for The National

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  South Africa celebrate after winning the World Series Men’s final at Dubai Sevens against Argentina.

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  South Africa celebrate with the trophy after their victory.

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  An Argentina player make a break.

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  A South Africa player passes the ball to a teammate.

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  South Africa player gathers the ball.

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  South Africa score a try in the corner.

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  An Argentina player is tackled.

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  South Africa on the charge.

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  An Argentina player makes a pass.

Stormzy might not be quite the biggest headliner the Emirates Dubai Sevens has ever had. Kylie Minogue’s appearance at the 50th anniversary tournament might just edge it.

But the cast for this weekend as a whole is unparalleled. Stormzy will be on the main stage on Pitch 8, shortly after the Men’s World Series final has concluded on Pitch 1 on Sunday evening. The Sugababes and Artful Dodger will also be performing during the weekend.

The evidence of how far the event has spread from its roots 54 years ago is everywhere. There will be participants from 128 countries across five sports: rugby sevens, netball, cricket, fitness, and padel. Last year’s Sevens hosted more than 6,000 players and 560 teams.

The cricket tournament will include a match between teams bearing the names of the official supporters clubs of England and India – the Barmy Army and the Bharat Army, respectively. Dinesh Karthik, the former India star, will presumably have a keen interest in that fixture in particular, given his role as the cricket tournament’s official ambassador.

Despite all the changes, sevens rugby remains the main pillar of the event – and yet even that has transformed in recent times.

Back in 1999, when the newly created world sevens series started in Dubai, New Zealand were more or less unrivalled. Fiji were regarded as the most talented side. And England were regular contenders. In the most recent season, New Zealand finished third, Fiji were seventh, while England do not even have a team any more.

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  Australia celebrate beating New Zealand in the Dubai Sevens final on Saturday, November 3, 2022. All images by Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Australia celebrate beating New Zealand.

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  Australia celebrate beating New Zealand.

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  New Zealand's Jorja Miller is tackled by Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilea of Australia.

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  New Zealand's Michaela Blyde breaks free to score a try.

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  Australia's Demi Hayes scores agains New Zealand.

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  Australia's Charlotte Caslick is tackled.

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  Australia celebrate winning the final.

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  Australia's Faith Nathan attempts to break through a tackle.

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  Australia's Charlotte Caslick is tackled.

The latter is the exception that proves the rule that not all progress is for the better. Now the English, Scottish and Welsh fans all have to play nice with each other in the scaffolding stands at The Sevens, seeing they are all backing the same team – a Britain side who have struggled so far in their trips to Dubai.

The standard bearers in men’s sevens now are totally different to in the past. Argentina were the World Series winners last year. Ireland, who have rapidly gone from nowhere to become a major force in the abridged format, were the runners up.

And Jerome Daret was last week named the World Rugby Coach of the Year – beating Rassie Erasmus and Andy Farrell in process – for overseeing France’s rise to become Olympic gold medal winners. Antonie Dupont, who won the Sevens Player of the Year award, will be absent now, though.

For all the changes, at least one thing remains the same. No one is more formidable on the field of Dubai than the South Africa men’s team. They are going for a sixth Dubai title in a row this weekend.

“Dubai feels like a second home for us, with many South African fans here,” their captain, Impi Visser, said.

“Maybe it’s the excitement of a new season starting but we always seem to jump the gun and be fast starters in Dubai. Hopefully we can do that again this weekend and continue it throughout the season.”