DUBAI // The eyes in the grandstands surrounding Pitch One widened as the match got underway. For the first time in the 45-year history of the Dubai Rugby Sevens, an all-Emirati team played on the main field.
Their opponents were all UAE nationals, too. Yet this was not the reason for the looks of surprise on the faces of fans.
From the very first play, the level of performance clearly caught some by surprise. Not least, presumably, the International Rugby Board, who had expressed doubts when they were asked to schedule the UAE National Schools Final on the main field.
“It was tough, because we are creating something out of nothing,” said Qais Al Dhalai, the secretary-general of the UAE Rugby Federation. “Never before have we had the Emirati boys on Pitch One and [the IRB] were a bit concerned about the level of the players. We said, ‘No, no, don’t worry. We know the level, we have been with them for three years. The level will be perfect’.”
And so it was. From the first whistle to the last play, Dubai’s Al Maarif School and Al Ain Mixed School put on a performance befitting the field. With Al Ain leading 15-12 with only seconds remaining, Yousef Lashkari, a stocky 18-year-old who has only been playing for two years, burst through on the final play to cross the line for Al Maarif and secure a historic, 17-15 reverse.
Lashkari’s teammates celebrated with backflips and exuberant hugs, while some of the Al Ain players fell to their knees in disappointment. As the winners received their trophies in the stands, down below, cameras clicked and people cheered. Three fingers were raised on the hands of each of the winners, replicating the popular gesture of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. It stands for victory, triumph and love.
“My dream was to play on the main pitch and that came true today,” said Lashkari, who was earlier this year voted Young Rugby Player of the Year. “I am so happy to score the winning try. It feels like it has been a long journey, but we have came so far in such a short time. We wanted to win, but we did not expect it to happen.”
Al Ain were undoubtedly the favourites. Winners last year on Pitch Two, several of their players had recently been taken to South Africa for three weeks of high-performance training with Sharks. Al Maarif had no such luxury, but they did have hunger and local support. As Lashkari crossed the line, some local youths on the sidelines whooped loudly in jubilation and banged the advertising signs surrounding the field.
“We never ever thought we would win this one, because Al Ain are a well-drilled side, but what we showed today was brilliant,” said Benjamin van Rooyen, who is in charge of rugby development across the UAE and also coach of Al Maarif. “It was a dramatic end. I couldn’t believe it. I said from the very start, we were the under-underdogs, so it’s an incredible achievement.”
Van Rooyen is helping to develop more than 3,000 boys and girls, including 150 boys at U18 and U19 level. With four core schools in Dubai and Ain, the success and site of yesterday’s final will act as impetus and motivation to grow the game further, Al Dhalai said.
“Now we have set the precedent. Every Emirati player will have the motivation to play on Pitch One and that is key,” he said. “The scheduling for the main field is very tight and they are always trying to squeeze that time, but World Rugby are a close partner and they want to support us. They gave us that opportunity and now it will never change. The final of the national schools tournament will always be here now, on Pitch One.”
gmeenaghan@thenational.ae
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