Rugby sport in the Emirates .. Asian leadership and global aspirations

Dubai, March 30 / WAM / Rugby sport in the UAE has witnessed a great development during the last decade, benefiting from an integrated sports environment and intense official support that led to its spread among different groups.
The game began in the Emirates at the level of the hobby in the 1970s, and then obtained the official recognition with the establishment of the Emirates Federation for Rajabi in 2009, to become the Emirates the first Arab and Asian country to join directly to the International Federation, and since then, the game has witnessed a remarkable growth in the number of clubs and players, in addition to achieving achievements at the continental and international levels.
The Emirates Rajabi team succeeded in reaching the coronation platforms in the various Asian tournaments on more than one occasion, and the UAE hosted international championships such as the Dubai Rajabi series, which has become one of the most important annual sporting events in the Emirates, and attracted the elite of the international teams, which contributed to the establishment of the UAE’s position as an international destination for this sport.
The Emirates Rugby Union worked to develop the structure of the game through programs to discover talents and expand the base of practitioners, with a focus on young and women groups, and also launched initiatives to spread the game in schools, with the aim of building new generations capable of competing in regional and international championships.
The Federation seeks to expand its external participation, enhance its relations with international federations, and contribute to the development of the game Arably by supporting regional championships.
The UAE hosted the headquarters of the Asian Federation for Rajabi in Dubai in 2021, and hosts the headquarters of the Arab Federation for R againstance since 2015, which strengthened its role in overseeing the development of sport at the Arab and regional levels.
The Emirates Rugby Union was interested in developing the arbitration and training system by launching advanced training courses for referees and coaches, in addition to high -level physical preparation programs, with the aim of qualifying technical cadres according to the highest international standards.
The game witnessed a remarkable growth in terms of the number of clubs and players, as the number of registered clubs reached 16, while the number of registered players exceeded 3500 players and players in different groups.
The Emirates Raja Federation is developing ambitious plans to achieve new achievements at the continental and international levels such as qualifying for the Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia, achieving a medal in the 2026 Asian Games, and qualifying for the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Maktoum bin Jumaa Al Maktoum, President of the Emirates Rajabi Federation, stressed that the great support from the wise leadership is a major factor in achieving achievements, noting that the union’s vision aims to enhance the UAE’s position as an emerging power in the rugby at the Asian and international levels.
In turn, Qais Al -Dhalei, President of the Asian and Arab Federations, Vice President of the Emirates R againstance Federation, praised the leadership role of the Emirates in developing the game, stressing that the Emirates Federation is moving forward in terms of sports achievements and administrative success.
He pointed out that the strategic partnerships concluded by the Federation, such as cooperation with the Emirates School Education Foundation to include rugby in the curricula, aim to expand the base of the game.
Al -Dhalei emphasized that the recent achievements of the UAE national team, including winning the Arab Championship for Rugby Seba 2025, and the bronze medal for the women’s team in the same championship, along with the bronze of the Asian series for the Rugby Sayati twice in a row, and the Silver of Asia in the rugby competitions (15 players) reflects the extent of development of the game, indicating that the under -18 team continued to shine as well The Asian Championship title for the third time in a row, while the women’s team won the silver medal in the Ladies League B in the Sevens Series 2024-2025.
For his part, Muhammad Sultan Al -Zaabi, Secretary -General of the Emirates Federation for Rajabi, considered that the recent successes came thanks to studied strategies aimed at expanding the base of practitioners, with a focus on schools to discover talents at an early age.
He revealed a long -term plan to prepare a strong team to qualify for the 2031 Olympics, and to control the Asian championships by 2029.
He pointed out that the federation is currently working on renewing blood among the national teams, especially at the level of women, while preparing for the Asian Championship qualifiers for the category of 15 players in June, which is the tournament to the World Cup in Australia.
He stressed that the farthest goal is to control the Asian championships in all their categories by 2029.

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