Dubai Rugby 7’s 2003 : A French Accent 

The World Cup has hardly come to an end in Australia than Rugby is already on top of the scene in Dubai, with the 1st stage of Rugby 7’s world series. From 3rd to 5th December at the Exiles Club Nad El Sheeba, the best teams will compete to better the All Blacks, 3 consecutive times winner here in Dubai. But Dubai 7’s tournament, celebrating this year its 34th birthday, is not merely a professional rugby event. Indeed last year, over 120 amateur teams competed at various levels and were strongly supported by spectators in excess of 32,000. From humble beginnings, the tournament has developed into what is now a major international sporting event, recognised to be a unique festival of Rugby with an atmosphere that can only be experienced in Dubai.

After several years of absence, the French are showing up at Dubai 7’s tournament this year, with 5 teams participating at different levels, thanks to the support of the Dubai French business community.

 
Having won the International section Bowl competition last year, the FRENCH 7’s NATIONAL team comes back with the ambition to compete with the world champions, the famous All Blacks. This young team, under the wise coaching of Thierry Janeczek, key player of French 15’s national squad in the 60’s, has been steadily progressing during these last years and could be the surprise of the tournament.

Two French teams will participate in the International social section of the Dubai 7’s :

The FROGGIES, a barbarians side, with members such as Bernard Laporte (French national coach, team member of THE FROGGIES in 93), Thierry Janeczek (French national Seven side coach) and Fabien Pelous (Dubai 94 & Kuala Lumpur 95) is composed of players from the best professional French clubs and world famous professional players, such as for this year, Franck Comba of Stade Français French Champions and Sailosi Nawavu of Fiji.  THE FROGGIES whose main local sponsors are ACCOR, SOFITEL City Center, AIR FRANCE, MAF DALKIA, U.F.E., JOHNSON DIVERSEY and who reached the semi-finals of the competition last year are back for a winning run this year. THE FROGGIES are also sponsored by Polimar, Trashco, Parmafood and equipped by BeRugBe.

The PYRENEES brought over from Pau for the first time with the support of TOTAL will represent with pride and honour this famous French rugby region.

The DUBAI FROGS which was formed in 2002 and regroups Dubai French amateur rugby players has recently joined the Arabian Gulf Rugby Football Union, thus becoming the first and only French club registered in the Gulf, a region which is traditionally dominated by British expatriates teams.

With the help of their local main sponsor LEGRAND and other sponsors such as POLIMAR and DANZAS they will register two teams in the 2003 Dubai 7’s, one in the Gulf section, one in the Local Social section.
 

There is no doubt that there will be a French corner in the Exiles Stadium to support their 5 teams, and if the players don’t spend all their energy during the Dubai nights...

the tournament could, this year,  have a French accent.