UAE men clinch Asia Rugby Sevens title; women finish runners-up

The UAE men’s and women’s Rugby Sevens teams arrived to a warm welcome at the Dubai International Airport on Tuesday, following their exploits in Phuket, Thailand.

The UAE men’s team clinched the Asia Rugby Sevens Trophy Phuket 7s, while the women’s team finished runners-up in the tournament held on April 9 and 10 at the Surakul Stadium in Phuket.

The UAE men pulled off a dramatic 22-17 victory over Singapore in extra time after they were locked 17-17, with seconds left for the final hooter. The UAE, who had failed to make the most of a penalty try conversion, managed to settle the final with a golden try.

The UAE had earlier defeated hosts Thailand 19-5 in the semifinal, while Singapore had got the better of Chinese Taipei 19-12, in the other semifinal.

Earlier last year, the UAE men’s and women’s teams had both emerged triumphant in the West Asia 7s Trophy held in Doha, Qatar, in October.

The UAE men had defeated Iran 38-14, while the women’s team swamped Qatar 41-0.