Rugby-mad youngsters in the UAE will get the chance to develop their skills and learn about life as a professional player when former England and New Zealand internationals hold a training camp in Dubai at the end of the month.
The Everything 4 Rugby (E4R) Dubai Rugby Camp will be held over three days, March 29-31, at the Sevens Stadium for eight to 16-year-olds – with former Red Rose players Mark Cueto and Tom May and former All Blacks powerhouse Carl Hayman leading the sessions.
E4R is a venture established by May and Hayman and former Newcastle Falcons and Toulon utility back May is excited about bringing the camp to the UAE.
“I’ve always known there’s a massive expat community out here.
Quite how deep that went I wasn’t sure until I came out here, but now that I have I’m convinced there’s a real opportunity for us to lay on a camp of real quality,” said May, who earned two England caps against the Barbarians and Argentina in 2009.
“This isn’t a case of normal coaches coming out then ex-pros making an appearance then leaving. The ex-pros coming out are running the whole thing. We’re there the whole time, doing all the work with the kids and I think there’s a huge amount for them to gain from that.
“We want to give them an introduction into what being a professional is like and develop their skills.
“Ideally the focus will be on really kicking on with their skills, getting them to understand how to create space as opposed to directly running into people, moving the game forward. We’re also trying to give them a bit of an introduction to what life as a professional would be like, so stuff to do with nutrition and recovery etc. Our focus is producing something of real quality that the kids can benefit from.”
May, 37, only hung up his boots last year, finally calling it a day with London Welsh, and was out in the Emirates earlier this month to scope out the popularity of rugby, and he was impressed by what he saw.
“When it’s a minority sport and a sport people don’t associate with the region, it’s all about creating interest, opportunities to play and participate and I think that’s what’s being done really well out here,” he said.
Despite the camp coming to Dubai for the first time, May is already looking to the future and hopes it can become a permanent fixture in the UAE’s rugby calendar, as well as introducing it to the capital too.
“We’d like to make it a yearly camp in Dubai and then when all the focus is on Dubai, we’ll look to push it in Abu Dhabi,” added May.
“We’re already talking to a few people about hosting something in Abu Dhabi at the end of this year.
“Our camps in the UK are already doing well so it would be nice to have something out here offering something to the people of the Emirates.”
The camp runs from 10:00-15:00 each day and is priced at Dh1,250. You can sign up by visiting everything4rugby.com or emailing [email protected].
