Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens 2018: What to watch and when on Thursday


Paul Radley
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Defending champions

World Series: South Africa
Women’s World Series: Australia
Gulf Men’s League: Dubai Exiles
Gulf Men’s Social: Mediclinic Barrelhouse Warriors
Gulf Vets: Jebel Ali Dragons Veterans
Gulf Women: Dubai Sports City Eagles
Gulf Under 19: British School Al Khubairat
Gulf Under 19 Girls: Dubai Exiles
UAE National Schools: Al Safa School
International Invitational: Speranza 22
International Vets: Joining Jack

Thursday - What to watch and when

1.20pm, Pitch 5, International Vets - Joining Jack v Moscow Dragons

After six years of trying, the former rugby league stars of Joining Jack proved they had cracked the other oval-ball code, when they won the International Vets tournament for the first time 12 months ago.

As always, they will borrow heavily from Wigan Warriors, with Andy Farrell, Pat Richards and Kris Radlinski set to lead their title defence.

2.20pm, Pitch 5, International Invitational – Speranza 22 v French Military Sevens

Speranza 22, a side set up in the memory of the former Abu Dhabi Harlequins player Marco Speranza, who died in an air crash in 2013, provided one of the all-time great sevens moments when they took the International Invitational title last year.

They are back to defend their title with another powerful squad – so much so that one of their players was elevated to the full New Zealand sevens team last week when Kurt Baker suffered a calf injury.

3.40pm, Pitch 7, Gulf Men’s League – Dubai Hurricanes v Bahrain

Bahrain are currently blazing a trail through the XVs game in West Asia, and will be hoping to upset the established order in the abridged format, too.

They are up first against a Hurricanes side who have spent too long away from the medals at the Sevens, but who now have Saki Naisau, arguably the outstanding sevens player in the region, in their ranks.

6.59pm, Pitch 1, Women’s World Series – Australia v United States

A repeat of last year’s final, when Australia beat the US to reclaim from New Zealand the Dubai Rugby Sevens title they had won two years earlier.

The Americans announced themselves as a force to be reckoned with in that tournament, as they beat New Zealand in the final, and arrive in Dubai second on the series ladder, having been runners up in their home competition last month.

7.45pm, Pitch 1, Women’s World Series – New Zealand v Ireland

New Zealand arrive in Dubai holding the lead in the six-leg series, having won the opening tournament in the United States in October.

Portia Woodman, the winger who scored 10 tries in that tournament, is absent from the trip to the UAE due to injury, but the Black Ferns will still be title contenders.

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Read more:

South Africa aim to make it three-in-a-row at Dubai Rugby Sevens

Meet the Emirates flying squad aiming for Dubai Rugby Sevens glory

When is the 2018 Dubai Rugby Sevens? Complete guide to the tournament

Rugby too 'rough' and girls should be studying cooking instead, says UAE council member

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

SPECS
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Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

The biog

Simon Nadim has completed 7,000 dives. 

The hardest dive in the UAE is the German U-boat 110m down off the Fujairah coast. 

As a child, he loved the documentaries of Jacques Cousteau

He also led a team that discovered the long-lost portion of the Ines oil tanker. 

If you are interested in diving, he runs the XR Hub Dive Centre in Fujairah

 

The bio

Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.

Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.

Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.

Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.

Defending champions

World Series: South Africa
Women’s World Series: Australia
Gulf Men’s League: Dubai Exiles
Gulf Men’s Social: Mediclinic Barrelhouse Warriors
Gulf Vets: Jebel Ali Dragons Veterans
Gulf Women: Dubai Sports City Eagles
Gulf Under 19: British School Al Khubairat
Gulf Under 19 Girls: Dubai Exiles
UAE National Schools: Al Safa School
International Invitational: Speranza 22
International Vets: Joining Jack