No Dubai Rugby Sevens, but 50 years worth of memories

For the first time since it started, the Dubai Rugby Sevens will not take place, because of the effects of Covid-19

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

Paul Radley

Dec 02, 2020

The region’s rugby-loving community will feel like something is missing when this weekend passes without the single most permanent feature of the UAE’s sporting landscape.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 3, 2019. Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens Captains Shoot at the Jumeirah Mina A'Salam. Victor Besa / The National Reporter: Paul Radley Section: SP

The incredible 50-year journey of Dubai Rugby Sevens embodies the spirit of the city

For the first time since it started 50 years ago, the Dubai Rugby Sevens will not take place, because of the effects of Covid-19.

For the majority of its lifespan, the Sevens has been played on National Day weekend. Other than the early tournaments which predated the concept of National Day, and last year, when it was shifted so as not to clash with the Etihar AirwaysAbu Dhabi Grand Prix.

To mark the traditional window for the region’s biggest rugby festival, we have put together a gallery of memories of some of the competition’s finest moments.

Rugby