Dubai Sevens: Abu Dhabi schoolgirls complete triumphant touch-to-tackle transition

Paul Radley reports on the landmark win by the British School Al Khubairat girls' rugby team at Dubai Rugby Sevens on Saturday, as they only took up full-contact rugby five months ago.

Georgia Barber of British School Al Khubairat in action at Dubai Rugby Sevens on Saturday. Victor Besa for The National / December 3, 2016

DUBAI // Five months after starting full-contact rugby for the first time, and a month since a comical first attempt at learning the rudiments of a line-out, British School Al Khubairat’s girls became Dubai Rugby Sevens champions.

Back in July, a group of avid touch rugby players lobbied their teachers at the Abu Dhabi school to enter them in to the Gulf Under-19 Girls competition at the Sevens.

None had played a game that involved tackling to that point. However, raw talent allied to hard work culminated in them beating Dubai Exiles 19-5 on Pitch 2 at The Sevens.

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“I’ve never cried after a match before, but this was so good,” said Georgia Barber, the BSAK captain, and one of the driving forces behind the creation of the team.

“We were still quite nervous before it, even though after the pool stages we had beaten everyone. Sevens is a game that can turn easily, and just because you have beaten them before, doesn’t mean you will do again.”

Barber was one of the group of players who had played touch rugby prior to July, but all of the squad had been in the dark about the specifics of the full-contact game.

She was delighted that the intensive cramming ahead of the Sevens brought success – as well as some laughs at times.

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“I’m so happy with the girls because of all the work we have put in,” she said.

“We had our first practice game a month ago, and we hadn’t even done line-outs yet. Everyone just stood there with their hands above their heads and had no clue.”

Ed Lewsey, the director of rugby at BSAK, said the commitment the novice girls team had shown in the lead up to this weekend was “inspirational” for their school colleagues.

“We said in July that if we are going to do this, we have to do it properly, and that you have to be willing to train two or three times a week,” Lewsey said.

“Georgia, their captain, said: ‘We would like four.’ Their unstinting dedication has been inspirational to the rest of the kids at school.

“It has been an honour for all the coaches who have worked with them to see how well they have worked, and the fruition is this final.”

BSAK were within a match of completing a unique school double, but their boys team were beaten by Dubai English Speaking College in the final of the Gulf Under-19 tournament.

The cup win was a remarkable success for DESC, which only opened just over a decade ago.

“It is the first time we have won it, having not been in it for very long,” said Robin Giles, the DESC coach.​

“We train every morning, as well as three afternoons per week, and we have been seeing a sports psychologist for the past six weeks.

“We have nutritional support. It is about as close as you can get to professional, without being professional.”

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