DUBAI // Of all the sides who are in contention for the Emirates International Trophy, few have a lower profile than Samoa. It might have escaped the attention of the wider public, but they are actually the defending champions in Dubai.
If they were not wearing team-branded gear, the Samoan players could happily wander through The Sevens complex on Thursday unnoticed if they wanted to.
All of which is a world away from back home. The national rugby players are the pride of the Pacific island nation.
Title wins are celebrated like winning the Expo. Lose, though, and it would be preferential to stay anonymous, according to Viliamu Punivalu, the Samoa coach.
“If you win, you go back to Samoa and there are a lot of people waiting to celebrate with you,” Punivalu said. “If you don’t win you have to hide and we should probably wear masks.
“It is the national sport. Everybody loves rugby and it is probably the only sport in Samoa that bonds everybody together.
“We are a very proud rugby nation, given that we have a small population of rugby players to pick from. We don’t have the luxury like New Zealand where they can bring 150 players into camp.”
The current Samoa squad differs markedly from that which beat New Zealand in the final here last year, including the coaching staff.
Punivalu is in charge for his second tournament, having been handed the job in the summer after serving as skills coach for the Samoa A team.
His team have trained in typical anonymity at the Victoria International School in Sharjah this week — other than when they have been teaching the children the Sipi Tau war dance.
As a gem not greatly known about beyond the city, but with a grass playing field in view of the shoreline, the school has fitted with Samoa neatly. It probably felt a little like home.
As ever, the Samoans are unlikely to be touted too loudly as potential winners this weekend — not least by themselves — but that suits them.
“Winning last year was a great achievement for us,” said Reupena Leavasa, their captain.
“We have been to semis and finals and we were playing a New Zealand team who are very consistent.
“It was a great step for us last year and now we have come back this year to defend our title as champions.”
pradley@thenational.ae
Follow us on twitter at @SprtNationalUAE
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
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'How To Build A Boat'
Jonathan Gornall, Simon & Schuster
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
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