KATHMANDU: Saudi Arabia’s rugby team showed off a fresh and young lineup at the Asia Rugby Sevens Emirates Trophy competition held recently in Nepal’s capital city Kathmandu.
Despite the team finishing last, the tournament was an opportunity for the new-look squad to gain valuable experience.
The two-day tournament saw 16 men’s teams and eight women’s teams from Asia compete, with the Philippines winning both categories.
The tournament was held on Oct. 4 and 5 at the Dashrath Stadium in Kathmandu, which despite being 1,400 meters above sea level was praised for its great natural pitch.
Saudi Arabia fielded one of the youngest teams in the tournament with most of the players under 24 years of age.
Sami Smara, the technical director and head coach of the team, said the association has a plan for the Riyadh 2034 Asian Games.
“We want to join more tournaments to gain experience and build a strong team,” he said. “We have club activities in Saudi Arabia for young players, and this will help us grow.
“This tournament was our consecutive appearance and we wanted to focus on new players getting a taste of international tournaments.”
In Group C, Saudi Arabia faced strong opposition including Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan and Qatar. Although they lost all three matches, the team did well, scoring tries against Kazakhstan and Qatar.
Captain of the team, Mohammed Al-Janoubi, said that playing at a high altitude made it difficult for the players to breathe during their first match, which added to the challenge.
He also highlighted that although the team had been preparing for several months, injuries during the preparation phase hindered their readiness. This combination of factors made their opening game particularly tough.
Saudi Arabia put a up a strong fight against Qatar in their first match despite the final scoreline. They eventually went down 39-7 at the end but conceded only two tries and converted one themselves in the second half.
They then lost 55-5 to Kazakhstan and 52-0 to Sri Lanka.
In the 13th-place playoff match against Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia showed their fighting spirit and led the match briefly. They were down 12-0 in the first half but made a strong comeback in the second.
After two tries, Mohammed Almoalim converted to put the team ahead 14-12. Unfortunately, they conceded a late try and ended up losing 19-14.
However, Al-Janoubi was happy with how the team played.
“The opposition was of high level, but we fought the best we can,” he said. “Most of the players were playing at this level for the first time. Our focus was on gaining international experience, and we succeeded. This experience will help us as we move forward.”
Coach Smara said rugby was getting good support from the Ministry of Sport and the National Olympic Committee.
“The government is very supportive of sports, and rugby is getting the help it needs to improve. We want to encourage local players and make a better team over time.”
He said rugby in Saudi Arabia has grown over the past few years. “The rugby was limited (in the past) to expats and was only played in compounds. But now there is governance of the league too.
“Thanks to support from the national Olympic committee, the (Saudi Arabian Rugby Federation) now has senior and youth competitions. We have rugby in the sports curriculum of the Ministry of Education too. I feel good things are to follow now,” Smara added.
There has been other progress, with the under-18 team playing in Malaysia last month.
And Smara said plans for women to participate internationally are in the pipeline, with a full team ready and preparing back home.
