We should all get behind the Dubai Sevens World Cup bid for 2018, the English language daily newspaper, The National, suggested in an editorial comment this morning.
For many residents, the annual Dubai Rugby Sevens event is one of the highlights of the year. Without descending too far into sporting cliché, the three-day competition, which begins on December 4th, is a genuine festival of rugby, involving more than 200 international teams, school sides, veterans and women's competitions.
"In 2009, Dubai hosted the World Cup Sevens, a tournament for the top international men's and women's rugby teams, which was played out before large crowds. Compare this to the poorly attended 2013 competition in Moscow and it is easy to see why the U.A.E. Rugby Federation is considering a bid to stage the 2018 World Cup Sevens." "While Dubai will face tough competition, its tentative candidacy is very credible given its track record. Staging the event also gives automatic entry to the hosts. If the U.A.E. won the bid, perhaps the armed forces could be persuaded to take that slot. After all, the army's ranks will by then be swelled with thousands of fit, young national servicemen. Armed forces rugby teams are known the world over for being tough competitors. Imagine the ovation that side would get," concluded the editorial.
Source: WAM