The final event of the Etihad Airways Junior Rugby Festival took place at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi on Saturday (October 30), with more than 1,800 children taking part in the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Harlequins Junior Rugby Tournament.

International teams from the United Kingdom, Russia, Qatar and Kuwait competed against those from the United Arab Emirates. More than 100 teams, across 11 different age groups from Under 6s to Under 18s, took part in the knock-out tournament.

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. 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 to the festival, 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 James Percival.

More than 400 Emirati and expatriate school children took part in the introductory rugby sessions coached by professional coaches from Harlequins.

Rory Greene, 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 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 - from developing grass roots of the sport to enabling the top junior athletes in the region to compete against one another.

Declan Hegarty, Abu Dhabi Managing Director and Head of Business, HSBC Bank Middle East Limited., 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 we at HSBC are able to support grassroots rugby events within the UAE."
 

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