What are the Covid rules at the Dubai Rugby Sevens 2021?

The three-day sports festival will start on December 2

Big crowds are expected for the Dubai Rugby Sevens this coming National Day weekend. Antonie Robertson / The National

After a one-year hiatus because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the much-anticipated Dubai Rugby Sevens will open its doors to crowds again on December 2.

The three-day event, which falls on the same weekend as the UAE National Day celebrations, will run at 80 per cent capacity and operate on a digital ticket basis.

Visitors do not need to show proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test result to enter the venue.

However, there are health and safety rules in place to keep people safe – following updated guidance from the Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management.

Masks should be worn while moving around the venue, including in the main stadium and at the various food and beverage areas located throughout the site.

Security staff will be stationed to ensure people are maintaining a physical distance of one metre.

This year, visitors will not be able to buy tickets at the gates. Organisers have advised people to purchase their passes online before heading to the event to avoid disappointment.

Visitors can buy day passes online before the event, with a Friday ticket costing Dh400 and a Saturday pass priced at Dh375. Entry on Thursday is free but visitors still have to download a ticket before entry.

Contactless payment is encouraged throughout the venue and special wristbands will be available for fans to top up their credit, through the event app, to purchase food, drink and merchandise.

Here, The National has put together a participant checklist for attending the Dubai Rugby Sevens.

What you need to know

- You do not need to provide proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test result to attend the event

- Download The Emirates Dubai 7s App to buy digital tickets before the event

- Show tickets to security staff at the entrance gates

- Face masks must be worn unless you are (i) seated at your table, (ii) eating or drinking, or (iii) exempt for medical reasons

- Keep a distance of one metre from all people and staff outside of your own party of guests

Are children (under 18s) allowed to attend the tournament?

Yes. Children under the age of 18 are allowed to attend the event providing that:

- Children 11 years and younger obtain free tickets, which are available through the app

- Children aged 12 years and older will have to purchase a general admission ticket to enter, which is also available through the app

Does my child need to be fully vaccinated or have a PCR test to enter?

No

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50 years of Dubai Rugby Sevens - in pictures

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

Dubai Exiles ar Rugby Sevens, December 1981. France have never won the Sevens. The closest they have got was when Les Bleus lost the 2011 final to England. But French hands have been on the Emirates International Trophy before, when Toulouse won the main competition in 1990.Courtesy: Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens

The first Dubai sevens games were played on sand pitches. Courtesy Peter Thomas

France have never won the Sevens. The closest they have got was when Les Bleus lost the 2011 final to England. But French hands have been on the Emirates International Trophy before, when Toulouse won the main competition in 1990. ALLSPORT/ Getty

Some people get wistful about the old days of playing on sand. Others only remember the pain. “It was like playing in flour with bits of brick in it,” Mike Jackson, a former Dubai Hurricanes player, said of the experience. “Then you would get nicks and cuts that would go septic.” ALLSPORT/ Getty

The tournament was played on sand up until 1995, when the pitches at the old Dubai Exiles ground were turfed thanks to huge investment by Emirates Airline. In the last final on sand in 1994, South Korea beat the Warblers 21-20. ALLSPORT

Dubai was one of the legs of the new World Sevens Series formed in 1999. Even though both the event and the series have become increasingly formalised since, the best known faces are often to be seen with the amateur teams on the outside fields. Like in 2006, when the reigning world player of the year Dan Carter was waterboy for Stefan’s BHF.

The tournament relocated from its original home in Al Awir to a new purpose-built site further into the desert in 2008. The new Sevens Stadium played host to that year’s Sevens, and also staged the format’s World Cup in 2009.

The tournament relocated from its original home in Al Awir to a new purpose-built site further into the desert in 2008. The new Sevens Stadium played host to that year’s Sevens, and also staged the format’s World Cup in 2009.

Nobody has tasted success in the international tournament at the Sevens more often than coach Ben Ryan. The Londoner oversaw wins with England in 2010 and 2011, then with Fiji in 2013 and 2015.

Nobody has tasted success in the international tournament at the Sevens more often than coach Ben Ryan. The Londoner oversaw wins with England in 2010 and 2011, then with Fiji in 2013 and 2015.

Rarely have more stars shared a field at the Sevens than when union royalty J9 Legends faced rugby league all-stars Joining Jack in the Vets event in 2013. It pitted the likes of Carlos Spencer, Stephen Larkham and Waisale Serevi against Jason Robinson and Andy Farrell. Jake Badger for The National

J9 Legends made the final that season, but were beaten by Xodus Steelers in a classic encounter on Pitch 1. It was memorable less for the match, as the emotional scenes after, when J9 captain Serevi pushed Joost van der Westhuizen, who was stricken by motor neuron disease, through a guard of honour. Jake Badger for The National

A year earlier, in 2012, Joining Jack had a celebrity fanboy running on water for their players. Bradley Wiggins had recently won the Tour de France and Olympic Gold, and was days away from being named BBC Sports Personality of the Year. A knighthood was in the offing, too.

Joining Jack, a charity side that raises awareness of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, do a good line in celebrity fans. In 2015, Owen Farrell struck a notable figure on the sideline, while supporting father Andy in the Vets tournament.

One of the greats of England rugby, Maggie Alphonsi, played for Tribe 7s in the Invitational Open in 2014. “Maggie the Machine” was not the only World Cup-winner on the outside fields that season, either. Steve Thompson, the hooker for the 2003 champions England, played for Gulf Legends in the International Vets. Satish Kumar / The National

In 2015, former Scotland wing Thom Evans danced past a load of defenders to score a try for UR7s Wanderers in the International Open on Pitch 2. It was his first touch of the ball on his return to the game after five years out with a serious neck injury while on international duty. Victor Besa for The National

Perhaps the most poignant victory in all 50 years of Dubai Sevens tournaments came in 2017, when Speranza 22 won the final of the International Invitational. The team had been set up in memory of Marcos Speranza, who had won the Gulf Under 19 title with Abu Dhabi Harlequins but later died in an air crash in his native Argentina. Courtesy Rory Greene

The Al Maha team made history when they competed in the Gulf U18 Girls tournament by becoming the first all-Emirati female side to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens. Antonie Robertson / The National

Dubai Hurricanes’ bid for a hat-trick of Gulf Men’s League trophies will have to wait until next year. They won back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The incredible 50-year journey of Dubai Rugby Sevens embodies the spirit of the city. Victor Besa / The National