Riyadh teams shine at historic first Rugby 10s and 7s Tournament in Dammam

DAMMAM: Amid football’s World Cup hype and frenzy in the region, Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd Stadium saw a small audience gather on Friday, Nov. 18 to celebrate the first-ever rugby tournament in the city.

Sami Amin, the Saudi Arabian Rugby Federation board member and communications committee head, was excited that the landmark event, the Rugby 10s and 7s Tournament, was hosted in his hometown.

“This is the first time that the rugby tournament has been held in Dammam and it’s very exciting for me, as I grew up here. We are a relatively new federation, and we’re currently building up our processes and governance in order to ensure that the sport is played, most importantly, safely. So we hope that you continue to watch and come down to the field sometime and take part,” Amin told Arab News.

His fellow SARF board member, Khalid Al-Mansour, who is also the head of the coaching and officiating committee, told Arab News he was hopeful progress could be made to improve standards. “For all of Saudi Arabia, we have around 10 teams, we need to have in each team an approved rugby coach (at) level one, then we move to level two, then after that to level three by 2030 God willing.”

On the lush green grass of the stadium, the players, whether on the field or cheering from the sidelines, refused to have their dedication and enthusiasm tempered by the glaring sun, dusty Dammam wind, and sweltering heat.

The Riyadh Falcons became the first winners of the sevens competition after winning their three matches, while the Riyadh Scorpions emerged victorious in the 10s contest.

Fahad Al-Mashaaly, a new player on the Saudi national team, said he was excited to have played, win or lose, because it allowed him to improve his game. It was