Dubai Sevens

Last updated

Dubai Sevens
Most recent season or competition:
2023 Dubai Sevens
Sport Rugby sevens
First season1970
No. of teams16
Most recent
champion(s)
Flag of Fiji.svg  Fiji
Most titlesFlag of South Africa.svg  South Africa   (11 titles)
2007 Dubai Sevens Zaza.jpeg
2007 Dubai Sevens

The Dubai 7s is an annual rugby sevens and social event held at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai, UAE. Founded in 1970, the event is the longest running sports event in the Middle East. [1]

Contents

Events

The Dubai 7s has six competitions each year: [2]

Dubai is the first leg of the World Rugby Sevens Series. Sixteen teams compete in the men's tournament divided into four pool of four teams each. On the first day, each team plays the other three teams in the pool. The two highest-placed teams in each pool advance to the quarterfinal knockout rounds, and the bottom two teams move to the challenge bracket.

Dubai also hosts a stop on the World Rugby Women's Sevens Series. Twelve teams compete in the women's tournament.

For the invitation tournaments, rugby teams take part in 15 sections. [3] The rugby invitational tournament is popular, with hundreds of teams participating. [4] The netball tournament includes teams in three sections: gulf women, open youth, and open women.

The Dubai Sevens is one of the more popular sporting events in Dubai, with over 100,000 fans attending the 2016 event. [4] [5]

Venue

The Dubai 7s has been held at The Sevens Stadium since 2008. Facilities at The Sevens include: eight rugby pitches, six cricket pitches, four netball/tennis courts, one basketball court, a grandstand, and ancillary facilities. [6]

The tournament's move to that venue in 2008 was a success. The tournament broke the World Series single-day attendance record in its first year with over 50,000 fans appearing on the first day of the tournament. [7]

World Series results

Results

Five teams have won the Dubai Sevens at least once. The early years of the tournament on the World Series were less competitive. Prior to 2003, New Zealand won the final with a comfortable 20+ point margin each year. In the first decade from 1999 to 2008 only five teams (New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa, South Africa, and England) had reached the Dubai Sevens final. Since then, the tournament has been more competitive, with several additional teams making the final and semifinal stages.

Summary of Dubai Sevens results on the World Series (updated to 2022):

TeamChampionRunner-upSemifinalistTop 4 placing
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa 111517
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 65920
Flag of England.svg  England 42915
Flag of Fiji.svg  Fiji 36918
Flag of Samoa.svg  Samoa 1359
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 235
Flag of the United States.svg  United States 224
Flag of France.svg  France 123
IRFU flag.svg  Ireland 11
Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina 145
Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 11
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya 11
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales 11
Total24244896

Results by year

Year Venue Cup finalPlacingsRefs
WinnerScoreRunner-upPlateBowlShield
1999 Dubai Exiles Flag of New Zealand.svg
New Zealand
38–14Flag of Fiji.svg
Fiji
Flag of Australia (converted).svg
Australia
Flag of Scotland.svg
Scotland
[8]
2000 Dubai ExilesFlag of New Zealand.svg
New Zealand
34–5Flag of Fiji.svg
Fiji
Flag of South Africa.svg
South Africa
IRFU flag.svg
Ireland
[9]
2001 a Dubai Exiles New Zealand 45–7 South Africa Scotland Wales
2002 Dubai ExilesFlag of New Zealand.svg
New Zealand
38–12Flag of Samoa.svg
Samoa
Flag of Fiji.svg
Fiji
Flag of France.svg
France
Flag of Namibia.svg
Namibia
[10]
2003 Dubai ExilesFlag of South Africa.svg
South Africa
33–26Flag of New Zealand.svg
New Zealand
Flag of Argentina.svg
Argentina
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg
Canada
Flag of Zambia.svg
Zambia
[11]
2004 Dubai ExilesFlag of England.svg
England
26–21Flag of Fiji.svg
Fiji
Flag of Samoa.svg
Samoa
Flag of Portugal (official).svg
Portugal
Flag of Tunisia.svg
Tunisia
[12]
2005 Dubai ExilesFlag of England.svg
England
28–26Flag of Fiji.svg
Fiji
Flag of New Zealand.svg
New Zealand
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg
Wales
Flag of Kenya.svg
Kenya
[13]
2006 Dubai ExilesFlag of South Africa.svg
South Africa
31–12Flag of New Zealand.svg
New Zealand
Flag of Samoa.svg
Samoa
Flag of Argentina.svg
Argentina
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg
Wales
[14]
2007 Dubai ExilesFlag of New Zealand.svg
New Zealand
31–21Flag of Fiji.svg
Fiji
Flag of Argentina.svg
Argentina
Flag of Australia (converted).svg
Australia
Flag of Zimbabwe.svg
Zimbabwe
[15]
2008 The Sevens Flag of South Africa.svg
South Africa
19–12Flag of England.svg
England
Flag of Samoa.svg
Samoa
Flag of Portugal (official).svg
Portugal
Flag of the United States.svg
United States
[16]
2009 The SevensFlag of New Zealand.svg
New Zealand
24–12Flag of Samoa.svg
Samoa
Flag of Australia (converted).svg
Australia
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg
Wales
Flag of Russia.svg
Russia
[17]
2010 The SevensFlag of England.svg
England
29–21Flag of Samoa.svg
Samoa
Flag of South Africa.svg
South Africa
Flag of Argentina.svg
Argentina
Flag of Kenya.svg
Kenya
[18]
2011 The SevensFlag of England.svg
England
29–12Flag of France.svg
France
Flag of Fiji.svg
Fiji
Flag of Australia (converted).svg
Australia
Flag of Scotland.svg
Scotland
[19]
2012 The SevensFlag of Samoa.svg
Samoa
26–15Flag of New Zealand.svg
New Zealand
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg
Wales
Flag of Argentina.svg
Argentina
Flag of England.svg
England
[20]
2013 The SevensFlag of Fiji.svg
Fiji
29–17Flag of South Africa.svg
South Africa
Flag of Argentina.svg
Argentina
Flag of Australia (converted).svg
Australia
Flag of France.svg
France
[21]
2014 The SevensFlag of South Africa.svg
South Africa
33–7Flag of Australia (converted).svg
Australia
Flag of Argentina.svg
Argentina
Flag of Samoa.svg
Samoa
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg
Canada
[22]
2015 The SevensFlag of Fiji.svg
Fiji
28–17Flag of England.svg
England
Flag of South Africa.svg
South Africa
Flag of France.svg
France
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg
Canada
[23]
WinnerScoreRunner-upThirdFourthFifth
2016 The SevensFlag of South Africa.svg
South Africa
26–14Flag of Fiji.svg
Fiji
Flag of England.svg
England
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg
Wales
Flag of Australia (converted).svg
Australia
[24]
2017 The SevensFlag of South Africa.svg
South Africa
24–12Flag of New Zealand.svg
New Zealand
Flag of England.svg
England
Flag of Fiji.svg
Fiji
Flag of Australia (converted).svg
Australia
[25]
2018 The SevensFlag of New Zealand.svg
New Zealand
21–5Flag of the United States.svg
United States
Flag of England.svg
England
Flag of Australia (converted).svg
Australia
Flag of Fiji.svg
Fiji
[26]
2019 The SevensFlag of South Africa.svg
South Africa
15–0Flag of New Zealand.svg
New Zealand
Flag of England.svg
England
Flag of Samoa.svg
Samoa
Flag of Australia (converted).svg
Australia
[27]
2020The SevensTournament cancelled due to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. [28]
[29]
2021
I
The SevensFlag of South Africa.svg
South Africa
42–7Flag of the United States.svg
United States
Flag of Argentina.svg
Argentina
Flag of Fiji.svg
Fiji
Flag of Australia (converted).svg
Australia
2021
II
The SevensFlag of South Africa.svg
South Africa
10–7Flag of Australia (converted).svg
Australia
Flag of Argentina.svg
Argentina
Flag of France.svg
France
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg
Great Britain
2022 The SevensFlag of South Africa.svg
South Africa
21–5IRFU flag.svg
Ireland
Flag of New Zealand.svg
New Zealand
Flag of the United States.svg
United States
Flag of France.svg
France
2023 The SevensFlag of South Africa.svg
South Africa
12–7Flag of Argentina.svg
Argentina
Flag of New Zealand.svg
New Zealand
Flag of Fiji.svg
Fiji
IRFU flag.svg
Ireland
2024 The SevensFlag of Fiji.svg
Fiji
19–5Flag of Spain.svg
Spain
Flag of Argentina.svg
Argentina
Flag of New Zealand.svg
New Zealand
Flag of France.svg
France

Notes:

^a The event held on November 7–8, 2001, was downgraded in status and excluded from the Sevens World Series after several teams withdrew in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks. [30] [31] [32]

Earlier winners

Winners of the Emirates International Trophy from 1988 to 1998: [33]

See also

References

  1. "Dubai Rugby Sevens: History". Archived from the original on 24 May 2020. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  2. "Dubai Rugby Sevens: Event information".
  3. "Dubai Rugby Sevens: News".
  4. 1 2 "The Dubai Rugby Sevens Broke Attendance Records" Archived 15 March 2017 at the Wayback Machine , Dubai Rugby 7s, 5 December 2016.
  5. "Dubai Rugby Sevens 2018", Time Out Dubai, 29 November 2018.
  6. The Sevens official website, 01.01.11.
  7. "Dubai sets new Series attendance record", World Rugby, 29 November 2008.
  8. "IRB Sevens I – Dubai". Rugby7.com. 1999.
  9. "IRB Sevens II – Dubai". Rugby7.com. 2000.
  10. "IRB Sevens IV – Dubai". Rugby7.com. 2002.
  11. "IRB Sevens V – Dubai". Rugby7.com. 2003.
  12. "IRB Sevens VI – Dubai". Rugby7.com. 2004.
  13. "IRB Sevens VII – Dubai". Rugby7.com. 2005.
  14. "IRB Sevens VIII – Dubai". Rugby7.com. 2006.
  15. "IRB Sevens IX – Dubai". Rugby7.com. 2007.
  16. "IRB Sevens X – Dubai". Rugby7.com. 2009.
  17. "IRB Sevens XI – Dubai". Rugby7.com. 2009.
  18. "IRB Sevens XII – Dubai". Rugby7.com. 2010.
  19. "IRB Sevens XIII – Dubai". Rugby7.com. 2011.
  20. "IRB Sevens XIV – Dubai". Rugby7.com. 2012.
  21. "IRB Sevens XV – Dubai". Rugby7.com. 2013.
  22. "IRB Sevens XVI – Dubai". Rugby7.com. 2014.
  23. "World Sevens Series XVII – Dubai". Rugby7.com. 2015.
  24. "World Sevens Series XVIII – Dubai". Rugby7.com. 2016.
  25. "World Sevens Series XIX– Dubai". Rugby7.com. 2017.
  26. "World Sevens Series XX– Dubai". Rugby7.com. 2018.
  27. del Carme, Liam (8 December 2019). "Brilliant Blitzbokke bag Dubai Sevens title". Business Live.
  28. Radley, Paul (29 July 2020). "2020 Dubai Rugby Sevens cancelled because of coronavirus". The National News . Abu Dhabi. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020.
  29. "Plans revised for HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2021". World Rugby. 29 July 2020. Archived from the original on 29 July 2020.
  30. "Dubai scrubbed from Sevens Series". Irish Times. 16 October 2001. Archived from the original on 11 June 2016.
  31. Malin, Ian (24 October 2001). "England to miss Dubai's downgraded sevens". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 14 August 2016.
  32. "Dubai sevens: Scots take Plate prize". 9 November 2001. Archived from the original on 10 August 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
  33. "Dubai 7s". Rugby7.com.