Rugby sides from the UAE and Israel met on the field for the first time on Friday.
The two sides played a friendly sevens fixture at Dubai Sports City. The two sets of players were then mixed together to form two teams, Israel-UAE Blues and Israel-UAE Whites.
Ahead of the game, Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin addressed the two sides in a video message saying “shalom and salaam”.
“This initiative, a joint rugby training camp, is a wonderful expression of the new spirit of people to people peace, following the historic Abraham Accords,” he said.
“While leaders may sign agreements, true peace requires people on both sides to build bonds of friendship and cooperation in every arena.
“A game like rugby is an excellent way to build bridges across cultures, religions and nationalities. Congratulations on this groundbreaking initiative.”
