In an exciting first for the Gulf region, the Beach Rugby Dubai tournament was officially announced this week.
Sanctioned by the UAE Rugby Federation and supported by Beyond the Beach, Beach Rugby Dubai offers a thrilling one-day tournament of corporate, social and club rugby on the shores of the pristine Jumeirah coastline.
Open to all levels of men’s and women’s players, locally and internationally, the tournament will be played at the Sheraton Jumeirah Beach Resort located within the vibrant heart of JBR Walk on Friday, April 26. Matches will start at 08:00 and continue through until 20:00.
“Discussions have been under way for a number of years on how we can bring the excitement of beach rugby to UAE’s rugby-loving community and we now believe we have the right starting point which will provide a fantastic day of quality rugby for clubs, corporates and social teams, as well as for the enjoyment of rugby fans,” said Qais Al Dhalai, UAE Rugby Federation’s secretary general.
“We are exceptionally fortunate to have some of the most stunning, clean stretches of beachfront in the UAE and we are very pleased to see this tournament scheduled to be played on the Sheraton Beach Resort’s shoreline.”
Speaking on the development of the tournament Al Dhalai added: “We have entered into a long-term partnership with our preferred sport marketing agency; Onside Sports, who have been tasked with developing the concept and the event.
Touch is already hugely popular in the UAE.
“Together with them we look forward to, and are committed to growing this tournament into a must-do fixture on the UAE sporting calendar for the enjoyment of local and international beach rugby fanatics and fans.”
Jeff O’Brien, managing partner at Onside Sports, said: “Dubai is rich with numerous quality sports events that welcome the participation of all levels of athlete, and, with the many formats rugby has to offer we are very excited to bring both contact and touch to the sands of Dubai under Beach Rugby Dubai.
“We are encouraged by the interest we are receiving (for the tournament) and are exceptionally pleased to welcome Beyond the Beach as our official sponsor and thank them for their support to this engaging, and exciting format of a rugby experience.”
A total of five pitches will be used throughout the day, where three beach pitches will be marked out for beach rugby touch and two for beach rugby contact. Teams in beach rugby touch will consist of seven players per team (three reserves), and the beach rugby contact will consist of eight players per team (three reserves).
Each half will be played over five minutes. Officiating Beach Rugby Dubai will be under the jurisdiction of the UAERF with technical support from Middle East Touch.
More information about Beach Rugby Dubai, including packages, can be found at www.beachrugbydubai.ae.
