Junior Rugby Festival Comes to a Close in Abu Dhabi

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 10:23:09 GMT

The final event of the Etihad Airways Junior Rugby Festival took place at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi on Friday 28th and Saturday 29th October with more than 2,000 children taking part in the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Harlequins Junior Rugby Tournament.

International teams from the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait competed against those from the United Arab Emirates.

More than 161 teams across 11 different age groups from Under 6s to Under 18s took part in the knock-out tournament, which incorporated more than 250 hours of rugby.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Etihad was proud to host the tournament, the largest junior rugby competition of its type in the Middle East, which has grown consistently year on year. We saw some fantastic competitive rugby played and congratulations to all teams who took part.

“The festival has once again been a great success and I must thank all partners and sponsors for their support and commitment, along with the Abu Dhabi Harlequins for their hard work in ensuring this tournament is a huge success.”

The tournament follows the Etihad Harlequins Rugby Schools which were held in Abu Dhabi last week and were led by Director of Rugby at Harlequins FC, Conor O’Shea, and Harlequins player, Ollie Smith.

Close to 500 Emirati and expatriate school children took part in the introductory rugby sessions coached by professional coaches from Harlequins.

Andy Cole, Abu Dhabi Harlequins’ Chairman, said: “We are delighted to have hosted this fantastic event, welcoming all players, coaches and supporters to the Abu Dhabi Harlequins Rugby Club.

“The tournament is a superb opportunity for everyone involved to make new friends from around the region and internationally, and we were delighted to see the continuity of youth rugby being played in the heart of the capital.”

The Etihad Airways Junior Rugby Festival is the premier junior rugby event in the Middle East - emphasizing developing grassroots support for the sport and giving top junior athletes in the region the opportunity to compete against one another.

Marcus Hurry, Deputy CEO, HSBC Bank Middle East Limited, a title sponsor of the event, said: “The Junior Rugby Festival has yet again been a fantastic sporting initiative for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.”

“It is great to see so many young people playing rugby and enjoying sport within this region and I am glad that HSBC supports rugby at a grassroots level in the UAE and the Middle East."

Photo caption:

Andy Cole, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Harlequins RFC (centre left) and Tom Clarke, Etihad Airways Sponsorship Manager (centre right), with the Abu Dhabi Harlequins Under 10's team and Etihad cabin crew members.

Etihad Airways Junior Rugby Festival Set to Take Place in Abu Dhabi

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 10:43:24 GMT

Photo caption:

Etihad cabin crew members, Lenka Horakova and Patra Apichairuk join in the fun with two players from Abu Dhabi Harlequins under 7s side.

Etihad Airways’ fourth annual Junior Rugby Festival is set to take place at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi on October 17 through to October 29, with a record 2,200 school children aged between 5 and 18 years planned to participate.

The festival, which is the largest youth rugby event of its kind in the region, consists of two key events – the Etihad Airways Harlequins Rugby Schools and the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Harlequins Junior Rugby Tournament.

Through its sponsorship of London-based rugby club, Harlequins, Etihad has again secured the participation of ex-Irish International and Harlequins Director of Rugby, Conor O’Shea, who will scout local youth rugby talent during the events. Also in attendance will be Harlequins’ first team player, Ollie Smith, and members from the Harlequins Community Rugby Coaches.

This year will see Harlequins’ mascots, Harley and Charley, join the players and coaches for the very first time at the rugby schools before embarking on a tour of Abu Dhabi to visit a selection of schools and major landmarks.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Etihad Airways is proud to deliver its fourth Junior Rugby Festival. Building on the success of last year’s festival, this year we are set to see children participating from more than nine countries, including Russia, UK and several countries from the GCC.

“We very much appreciate the close partnership with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and with support from our global sporting partners, we remain committed to bringing sports excitement to Abu Dhabi and the region and contributing to the development of local grassroots sport.”

Marcus Hurry, Deputy CEO, HSBC Bank Middle East Limited, added: “HSBC is proud to be the presenting partner of one of the biggest junior rugby competitions in the region. At this year’s Etihad Airways Junior Rugby Festival, HSBC Ambassador, Jason Robinson will lead a number of coaching clinics for kids.”

”The UAE is fast developing into a regional and international hub for rugby and we hope to help continue to grow the game here with our support for the game at all levels through our growing portfolio of rugby partnerships.”

As the Supporting Partner of the event, Abu Dhabi Sports Council is assisting with the organisation of schools to attend the event and with an outreach day to the Western Region.

Mohammed Al Mahmood, Abu Dhabi Sports Council’s General Secretary, said: “The Etihad Airways Junior Rugby Festival is a fantastic sporting initiative for the emirate of Abu Dhabi. The outreach day in the Western Region will enable local children to experience rugby for the first time.

“Abu Dhabi Sports Council wishes to express its support, and thanks Etihad Airways, Harlequins and all the event partners for leading the way with the Middle East's youth rugby programme."

Conor O’Shea, Harlequins Director of Rugby, added: “Harlequins are honoured to continue supporting Etihad in their efforts to develop rugby within the UAE. With Rugby World Cup fever gripping the nation, the Harlequins club staff and players are excited about attending the Festival later this month and it is a great chance for us to see the local talent first hand.”

The inaugural Etihad Airways Junior Rugby Festival took place in 2008 and attracted more than 1,600 youngsters, both local and international, who took part in the rugby clinics and two-day junior tournament.

Following the Rugby Schools, Etihad Airways will jointly host with the Abu Dhabi Harlequins Rugby Club the region’s largest junior rugby tournament on October 28 and 29, also at Zayed Sports City. More than 1,800 children, a record for the yearly event, will take part in the two day knockout tournament.

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