Rugby Awards a great night to end a stellar season

Martyn Thomas 11:21 12/04/2014
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Big winners: The evening's awards winners on stage with their gongs.

    Jebel Ali Dragons hooker Sean Crombie capped a fine season as he became the first ever senior player of the year at the inaugural UAE Rugby Annual Awards in Dubai.

    The former Scotland sevens international was crowned at the end of a gala evening at the Montgomerie Golf Club that saw 13 prizes dished out in all and appearances from legends of the game such as Jonah Lomu, Steve Thompson, Alain Rolland and host Rory Lawson.

    Cheered on by an ever-raucous Dragons following, Crombie picked up his gong less than a week after his brace of tries powered his side to a 32-11 ARFU West Asia Champion Club final win over the Abu Dhabi Harlequins that saw the Jebel Ali club secure a second successive treble.

    “It’s an honour to win it,” an elated Crombie said. “The event has been awesome and if they continue to do this every year I cannot see it going any other way than upwards.

    “Obviously rugby is becoming bigger and bigger and there are more and more high standard players coming out here, to help contribute as well not just play.”

    Earlier, the Emirati senior player of the year award went to Hassan Al Noobi in recognition of the full-back’s prolific debut season with the Arabian Knights. Al Noobi scored more than 100 points for the UAE Conference side but was still shocked to hear his name read out in Dubai.

    “I feel very good. I really want to thank everybody who voted for me, I thank my family and my team,” the 26-year-old said. “I worked hard this year, and my team really supported me.”

    Mohammed Shaker and Declan O’Donovan were both praised for their work in developing local rugby as they picked up the Emirati and expat ultimate recognition awards, although the latter was unable to collect his prize in person.

    Shaker, a former UAE sevens captain and team manager, has been integral in the Emiratisationof the sport. But even he admitted he could not have envisaged a gala evening on the scale of last night’s.

    “It is an amazing feeling,” he said after picking up his gong from UAE Rugby Federation chairman Mohammad Falaknaz. “What the UAE has done so far is little, but what is coming will be big.

    “I could not have imagined a night like this in the past.

    “The award is good encouragement for the Emirati players. They now have something at the end of the season to aim for.”

    Elsewhere, teenage Quins centre Iziq Foa’i appeared to have turned up at the Montgomerie with a personal cheering squad as he picked up a deserved nod as the best young expatriate player.

    He said: “I feel really blessed to get the award. I just came to meet Jonah, dress up, eat some nice food and celebrate the occasion so this is a nice bonus.”

    His Quins team-mate Adel Al Hendi walked away with the best young Emirati player award, while Yousef Lashkari and Josh Appleby took home the young talent awards.

    But it wasn’t just men’s rugby that was represented in Dubai, as Dubai Hurricanes’ Jenny Matheson scooped the first award of the night, for women’s player of the year.

    There were also nods for Sami Smara – who celebrated becoming a father by picking up the coach of the year award, Norman Drake (referee of the year), Sharjah Wanderers (fair play award) and Cecille De Scally (volunteer of the year).

    The night began with an address from UAE Rugby Federation general secretary, Qais Al Dhalai, who praised the Dragons for their successful season while offering support to stricken Quins prop Mike Ballard.

    The American, nominated alongside Crombie for the senior player of the year award, will be transferred to the States today after spending the last week in hospital due to a spinal injury.

    Al Dhalai’s comments elicited loud applause from guests, and Crombie added: “Obviously Mike is a tragic case, which we hate to see, but it brings out the best in rugby in terms of the community.

    “I know [Dragons team-mate] Murray Strang went and visited him personally and took a lot messages from the guys and obviously anything that comes up that requires our support, I know the Dragons as well as every other team will continue to support Mike and our prayers are with him that he makes a full recovery.”

    Recommended