Given the prevailing situation in the region, at one point it was uncertain whether Jumeirah English Speaking School’s rugby tour to the UK would go ahead at all.
But their pioneering female players returned to Dubai on Sunday night with the trophy, some ink in the UK national press, and a lifetime of memories.
Two years ago, the same cohort of players had made history by becoming the first international winners of their section at the Rosslyn Park National Schools Sevens.
Twelve months later, playing a year below their age group, they won the plate at the same event.
Heading back this year, the Arabian Ranches-based school had designs on winning the main event in the Under 16 Girls competition.
Their buildup was less than ideal, though. The closure of UAE schools after the onset of the regional conflict disrupted training.
Then rejigged term times meant they would now be missing a week of remote learning, rather than the slice of spring holidays as was initially planned.
And travel limitations meant a call on whether they would be able to take up their place in the event had to be left until close to the day of their scheduled flight.
Despite the challenges, they stormed the competition and lifted the trophy after beating Redborne Upper School 27-12 in the final. Grace White scored four tries in that fixture, and was named the player of the tournament.
The London festival has been running since 1937, and is said to be the largest schools rugby event in the world. There were over a thousand teams involved this week.
In amongst it all, the excellence of the side from Dubai did not go unnoticed. In its review of the event, The Times of London pointed out JESS’s presence had been against the backdrop of being “geographically, at the centre of a global crisis”.
A website devoted to grassroots rugby, nextgenxv.com suggested it had been “the most arduous of journeys for these girls and their schoolmates just to be here”.
The commentator on the livestream of the final preferred to focus on their playing excellence, at times terming them “less Dubai, more South Africa”, and “everyone’s second favourite team”.
Charlotte Battiston, the team’s captain, said her team were thrilled to have left an impression again.
“I'm really proud that people know us in the UK,” Battiston said.
“We'd be walking around and people would come as ask if we were the guys from Dubai. They knew what we've achieved in the past years in the UK.
“It's just really cool to see how we've been put on the international map as well because of our rugby. It’s such a cool thing.”
The side was largely made up of the same players who had won the U14 cup title in 2024. It is a testament to the standard of rugby at the school that JESS also defended that trophy – with a different group of players – last year.
“We did feel a bit of pressure considering how our results have been before at the same tournament,” Battiston said.
“We didn’t let that get to us and we weren't getting too complacent, which is good. We fought in every single match, no matter the score, and were calm about it.”
Bradley Janes, the head of girls rugby at JESS, said the run of success for the school had been a triumph for “resilience and determination”.
“Winning a Rosslyn Park Sevens cup three years on the bounce is an incredible achievement in its own right and a testament to the girls’ talent and hard work,” Janes said.
“What makes me most proud of this group is how they represented themselves, their school and their families who support them every step of the way.
“They truly embodied resilience and determination in every sense and it’s a privilege to be their coach.”
Janes said it had taken a collective effort to make sure the tour, which also involved JESS sides in other sections of the girls' and boys' competitions, was a success.
“What was quite nice was we didn't actually have many questions about [the war],” Janes said.
“I think the quality of rugby on show from both the girls and the boys throughout the tournament overshadowed the situation that's going on.
“The boys and the girls showed some amazing resilience throughout the tournament to just carry on and perform. I think that that's what took the centre stage.
“If we were being approached by other schools, it was complimentary, and a credit to the boys and the girls playing.
“But we need to give a big thank you to all of the staff at JESS, from the leadership team to everyone in the wider PE department, and the parents for making this trip go ahead.”
