DUBAI // The UAE Rugby Federation has shelved a planned Afro-Asia sevens tournament in Dubai next month because of the Ebola outbreak.

Officials were asked by the International Rugby Board (IRB), to postpone the inaugural running of the tournament on medical grounds.

A developmental event involving three teams from emerging rugby nations in Asia and three from Africa had been in the planning since February.

It was due to be staged the weekend after the Dubai Sevens, but Qais Al Dhalai, the secretary general of the federation, said they elected to postpone.

“We had the backing of the Dubai Sports Council, communicated that to the IRB and the Confederation of African Rugby, and everything was set,” Al Dhalai said.

“However, in negotiations with the IRB, we have decided it would be very uncertain taking this tournament ahead this year because of the outbreak of the Ebola virus.

“Some of the African federations have said they can’t travel because their countries have set up restrictions on groups going outside [the country].”

Al Dhalai said the competition is certain to take place in the future, with the first edition possibly taking place in the first half of 2015.

The decision to postpone means the UAE will not have the chance to build on the promising form they produced in Al Ain last weekend.

The national team finished third in the six-team Asian Development Sevens tournament in the Garden City.

It was welcome respite for the emerging side of Emiratis, who have played most of their rugby against more experienced sides on the Asian Sevens Series.

Roelof Kotze, the performance manager, hopes competitions like that one – and the proposed Afro-Asia event – can be arranged more regularly for the benefit of his young charges.

“That would be another competition where we could win, lose and learn to win tight games, and learn what it is like to lose a tight game,” Kotze said.

“Better that than turning up and thinking, ‘Let’s see if we can score one try, let’s see if we can save face’.

“It is a skill to close out games. Our guys don’t know what it is like to close out games, because we have never needed to, because we have been so far behind.”

According to Adel Al Hendi, the UAE’s top player in Al Ain, the third-place finish consolidated the belief of a side who had their morale sapped by regular defeats by Asia’s rugby super powers.

“Japan play in the Asian series, then they go up to the IRB and they turn into us,” the Abu Dhabi Harlequins winger said.

“They are the underdog. Then when we come back down to our level, this shows us that we are doing quite well.”

pradley@thenational.ae

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