A Triumph for UAERF With Successful Finale to 2023/24 Rugby Season
The UAE Rugby season has drawn to a close after one of the most thrilling seasons of rugby since the pre-Covid days. The biggest show piece of a season is Finals Day, and this year didn’t disappoint.
Hosted in Al Ain by the Amblers rugby club for the second consecutive year, The UAE Rugby Finals has been the culmination of a season packed full of surprises throughout many levels of rugby played in the region. The icing on the cake being the UAE Premiership Final, between the Dubai Hurricanes and the Jebel Ali Dragons.
The day was seen as a big win, not just for the Dragons, but for UAE Rugby in general, and showed the progress this multi-cultured part of the world has made in a sport that runs deep in the veins for many expats living here.
Throughout the day on Saturday, the Amblers hosted 27 cup finals at various levels and age-groups from around the local emirates, 27 trophies, 1080 medals with 50+ officials overseeing a colossal 14 hours worth of rugby action. A huge step up in organisation and logistics, compared to Finals Day’s gone by, where it would have mainly been a focus on senior rugby, specifically the Premiership and Division 1.
Building on the success of last years finale, a feast of rugby was laid out for us all, thanks to the UAERF and the RCC’s (Rugby Club Consortium) hard work and dedication. Quality rugby from the Under 11’s to Under 18 Colts, Senior Womens to the Senior Mens game were on display, showcasing the best of the best rugby has to offer here in the United Arab Emirates.
Matt Born, General “Dogsbody”/Chief Organiser of the RCC said;
“They [Amblers RFC] turned it on for us! The organisation was superb; namely Mr Carel Greeff, the general manager of the club. No ask was too big, no detail overlooked, he showed us all how easily and professionally AAA can handle an event like that. A huge thanks to him and his team.”
The key to this year’s successful finals day appeared to be a condensed schedule which seemed to help give the day a more festival like vibe, with games on all pitches throughout the day, heart pumping music, ice cold beverages, great food and a bearable temperatures for this time of year, which cooled perfectly for the afternoon’s session.
Born went on to give his personal highlights of the day, saying;
“The Under 12 and Under 14 Girls Quick-Rip Presentations – the happiest most inclusive and supportive bunch of girls I’ve encountered. They all cheered each other like they had all won. It was brilliant. The Under 12A Boys final – cross field kick pass, jinx inside and offload to the supporting player to score in the corner… MAGIC!”
He added;
“I’m not sure who the players were, but there was a hit in the Woman’s Premiership final – my goodness. International level – and more so because both players got up and kept going!”
“Every year I look at the growth of Rugby in the region, and this year has set a new standard. Under 16 Girls contact, Under 18 Girls XV’s, Womans XV’s, highly competitive Division 1 and 2, a unpredictable Premiership final, U18 Boys and Girls getting their Senior caps for their clubs, we truly are offering a product that is undeniably attractive. All founded on the standard ethos of Rugby; in Respect, Team work, Hard work and above all, Fun!”
Born ended by saying;
“I drove home from Al Ain, filled with pride. If asked what you want from your sport – majority reply “to leave it in a better place than when I started” – well let me tell you… UAE Rugby is in a great place right now.”
Speaking with James Fairbourn, who took charge of the Premiership final, who is also part of the West Asia Rugby Panel said;
“From our perspective it was a fantastic end to the season. Games across the board showcased some great rugby played in a good spirit. Having all the finals together makes for a great atmosphere (particularly by the time the Premiership final kicked off.”
Dubai Sharks – Division 1 Champions 2023-24
Before Saturday’s final, the Dubai Sharks had only ever managed to take a nibble of the Division 1 league trophy, but now they’ve succeeded in taking a massive bite, by winning their first major piece of silverware for the club, after missing out last season’s grand final to the Dubai Hurricanes. It’s been quite the rollercoaster ride for the club over the past 14 years, from being unable to field a full squad, to today where they boast an 800+ strong membership, including a thriving Mini and Junior section, ladies rugby, netball and two senior mens teams, not to mention a Director of Rugby with a CV and pedigree that any major professional club could only dream of having.
Sharks Coaching Staff – Josh Ives, Matthew Pewtner and Pat Benson
So, that pretty much ties up the 2023/24 UAE Rugby season. Below are the results from the day.
Final Results From The UAE Rugby Finals 2023/24 Season
Mens UAE Premiership
Dubai Hurricanes 11 vs 25 Jebel Ali Dragons
Mens UAE Division 1
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 39 vs 53 Dubai Sharks
Mens UAE Division 2
Dubai Sharks 22 vs 28 Dubai Tigers
Womens UAE Premiership
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 5 vs 34 Dubai Phoenix
Under 18 Girls XV Exhibition
Dubai Hurricanes 32 vs 12 UAE Barbarians
Under 18 Girls A
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 21 vs 26 Dubai Hurricanes
Under 18 Girls B
Dubai Warriors 19 vs 15 Dubai Hurricanes
Under 18 Girls C
Dubai Exiles 50 vs 0 Abu Dhabi French
Under 18 Colts A
Dubai Exiles 63 vs 0 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Under 18 Colts B
Dubai Exiles 21 vs 10 Dubai Tigers
Under 16 Girls A
Dubai Hurricanes 24 vs 12 Abu Dhabi French
Under 16 Girls B
Dubai Exiles 19 vs 7 Dubai Tigers
Under 16 Girls C
Dubai Hurricanes 20 vs 0 Dubai Sharks
Under 16 Boys A
Dubai Exiles 34 vs 14 Dubai Hurricanes
Under 16 Boys B
Dubai Hurricanes 26 vs 10 Dubai Tigers
Under 14 Boys A
Dubai Hurricanes 24 vs 5 Dubai Tigers
Under 14 Boys B
Dubai Sharks 34 vs 19 Abu Dhabi Small Blacks
Under 14 Quick-Rip A
Dubai Sharks 47 vs 46 Dubai Hurricanes
Under 14 Quick-Rip B
Abu Dhabi Small Blacks 57 vs 17 Dubai Sharks
Under 13 Boys A
Dubai Exiles 41 vs 15 Dubai Hurricanes
Under 13 Boys B
Dubai Tigers 48 vs 10 Dubai Exiles
Under 12 Boys A
Abu Dhabi Small Blacks 33 vs 14 Dubai Tigers
Under 12 Boys B
Dubai Tigers 28 vs 14 Al Ain Amblers
Under 12 Quick-Rip A
Dubai Sharks 44 vs 40 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Under 12 Quick-Rip B
Dubai Sharks 52 vs 42 Dubai Hurricanes
Under 11 Boys A
Dubai Sharks 25 vs 15 Dubai Tigers
Under 11 Boys B
Jebel Ali Dragons 29 vs 7 Dubai Tigers
About the author
Alex Johnson
I'm a passionate digital marketer based in Dubai who enjoys rugby, photography and the outdoors. I've been helping businesses grow their online presence for over 20 years with clients based all across the globe.
