Back the 2018 bid

Dubai has earned the chance to bid to host the sevens world cup in 2018.

Rugby sevens is at home in Dubai, bolstering the case for the UAE to host the world cup in 2018. Photo: Mike Young / The National

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 is a genuine festival of rugby, involving more than 200 international teams, school sides, veterans and women’s competitions. The event, which this year will begin on December 4, is usually famous for its good weather – although those who were caught in the torrential rain of 2012 may disagree – its high standard of rugby and for its capacity crowds.

In 2009, Dubai also hosted the World Cup Sevens, a tournament for the top international men’s and women’s rugby teams, which was once again played out before large crowds. Compare this to the poorly attended 2013 competition in Moscow and it is easy to see why the UAE 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 UAE 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 ...