Line up and line out: rugby joins national school curriculum

Rugby is now a mandatory part of the physical education curriculum in schools as the country looks to develop Emirati talent in the long-established expatriate sport.

The UAE Rugby Federation has made an agreement with the Ministry of Education in the second phase of the sport’s expansion into the Emirati community.

In early January, the ministry published a rugby workbook and trained more than 400 teachers in a one-day programme.

There are 16 rugby clubs in the UAE, with more than 3,500 registered players across the country.

Rugby has a long history here, with the Sharjah Wanderers established in 1977 and the Dubai Exiles in 1966, but it remains a game mainly played by expatriates.

Half a dozen teams compete at the highest level across the country.

In recent years, there has been a push to develop Emirati talent through festivals and initiatives such as the Player Pathway Programme, which took the sport into schools in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and other emirates.

The federation estimates that there were only about 30 Emiratis playing rugby five years ago.

As a result of the Pathway programme, about 9,000 children were introduced to the sport.

“Five years back, almost no one in the Emirati population knew what rugby was, but today if you ask any Emirati I can guarantee that 90 per cent will know what it is and how it’s played,” said Salman Hadi, vice chairman of the federation and its head of development.

Introducing rugby into the national curriculum is the next step.

“Today, we are moving into phase two, developing a population of rugby players, building their stamina and nutrition and having them play against worldwide countries that are already established,” Mr Hadi said. “We want players that can win tournaments.”

Sami Smara, the development manager for the federation, expects the number of Emirati boys and girls playing rugby to reach 200,000 in two years.

Classes start this month.

Rugby is no longer the preserve of expatriates thanks to efforts to foster the sport in schools across the UAE