As the Australian women’s team marched through the tunnel at the back of Pitch 1 early in the afternoon of finals day at the Emirates Dubai Sevens, Emily Eglen was walking the other way.
She had a broad smile on her face, and another winner’s medal round her neck. Were she not so unassuming, she might have looked across at the Aussies and thought: “I will be seeing you again soon, with any luck.”
The Australians already have a decent cheat code in their ranks. Maddison Levi, who is arguably the standout star of the abridged version of the women’s game, scored nine tries in their three pool matches on the first day this weekend.
Dubai Phoenix, the leading UAE-based women’s team, have a Levi Mini-me of their own. In the final of the Gulf Women’s League against Chameleons Rugby, Eglen scored a hat-trick inside four minutes in the first half.
The former DESS College schoolgirl added two more in the second half, and her five-try haul gave Phoenix a second successive Gulf title with a 25-10 win.
Eglen had also been the star of the final 12 months earlier. In the meantime she moved back to her native Australia, having grown up in Dubai and represented the UAE in the past.
Her switch to Brisbane is with a view to having a crack at one day representing Australia. She is playing mostly XVs at present, but she hopes to catch the attention of sevens sides.
“Looking at the Aussie girls and how well they play, it is definitely a dream for that to happen,” said Eglen, who only landed back in Dubai a couple of days before the start of the Sevens.
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Dubai Phoenix celebrate their win over Chameleons Rugby during the Gulf Women's final at the Dubai Sevens on Sunday, December 1, 2024. All photos: Victor Besa / The National -
Emily Egden of Dubai Phoenix scores against Chameleons during Gulf Women's final -
Emily Egden dominated for Dubai Phoenix against Chameleons Rugby at the Dubai Sevens -
Dubai Phoenix won their second straight Gulf women's title -
Malak Seif El Nasr Chameleons scores against Dubai Phoenix -
Dubai Phoenix won the Gulf Women's final on Sunday -
Dubai Phoenix defeated Chameleons Rugby, left, in the final -
Emily Egden of Dubai Phoenix scores against Chameleons -
Dubai Phoenix celebrate victory in the final
“I will have to build up to it, as I only moved home six months ago. I need to get more training. Quite a few coaches we have had over here are with the Aussie girls in Australia, so they have always helped get me in to speak to people about it.
“We will have to see how it goes, but I am going to keep going and try to build towards it.”
While the win extended Phoenix’s fine record at the Sevens, the achievement of the runners up in reaching the final was just as noteworthy.
The Chameleons are ostensibly based in Doha, mainly because their organisers live there. But they are in fact the equivalent of Barbarians side, with individual players picked up from all over the Mena region - including Syrian and Egyptian nationals - to get together for the Dubai Sevens.
They finished third in their debut in the competition last year, and went one better this time around.
So impressive were they, after the game, the two sides were trading details with the intention of meeting up for more fixtures in the future.
“It’s crazy to have our second win in two years and it feels so good,” Eglen said. “To beat a team like that, not knowing who they were, having not played them yet, we did really well.
“They are really good and quick, and we had had some easier games today, so it was tough, but we are really pleased.”
