Dubai – The people’s tournament
Beginning this weekend in Dubai is HSBC SVNS 2024. Joe Byrnes discusses why the international sevens season’s first round is so memorable.
Nestled between the motorways, tall buildings, and opulence of the “Venice of the Gulf” is a rugby league that has been going on for fifty yearsEngland to the South Africa final Rugby World Cup 2023
You say, a fifty-year-old rugby competition in the Arabian desert? The Sevens Stadium is the real oasis; it’s not just a mirage. It sounds more like the delusions of a weary rugby player, lost in life’s sands, his hopeful imagination playing tricks on him.
With over 80,000 spectators from 128 countries, the Emirates Dubai 7s is the biggest sporting and entertainment event in the Middle East and serves as the prelude to HSBC SVNS 2024. Elite and amateur athletes from all around the world attended the previous year’s event, which had over 5,600 competitors and 420 teams of all levels and ages from 32 countries.
The Emirates Dubai 7s is centered around a fully-fledged amateur tournament that takes place on the fields around the main stadium. I have a predisposition towards the Dubai 7s since I was on a winning team in the 2015 International Open, which gave me a taste of triumph. Despite being the least effective player on the squad, I was able to speak with foreign teammates for a week because to Dubai’s everlasting gift. Although our team was filled with skill, “we just clicked” was the most crucial component. a mindset developed both on and off the field.
Why does this matter? I’m not very well-known, but that’s exactly the purpose. Each and every amateur player who competes in the various tournament tranches comes with the dream of reaching the Pitch 1 final, facing a legend, and feeling that they are just as much a part of the game as the pros who are paid to participate. Dubai’s charm is in who people are.https://twitter.com/SVNSSeriesFdubai-the-people-s-tournament
Rugby Sevens traditionally kicks up in Dubai. Following several months of intense, lung-busting preseason training, the athletes recover to optimal physical health. New faces and maybe new stars are revealed after months in the dark, and tongues begin to wag. There’s a tangible sense of excitement, the HSBC SVNS title is up for grabs, and the slate is clear.
A surprise delivery is always present. There’s usually one well-established country that falls short. Additionally, Dubai consistently has a little advantage due to a season-stalling intensity.
The matches are played in the late, scorching desert nights, and the large number of ex-pats who attend in large numbers create a fiery atmosphere that intensifies as the top teams come to the fore.
Emirates Dubai 7s is a collision of all the finest things our sport has to offer and the only place to be this weekend when SVNS is reborn.
@sportzlanka.com
