Gone are the days when England fans rocked up to the Emirates Dubai Sevens expecting their side to be in title contention at the end of it.
It is 12 years now since England was last inscribed on the Emirates International Trophy. And they will struggle to do it this weekend, seeing as the side no longer exists.
For years, England, Wales and Scotland fans had baited each other in the scaffolding stands while their teams did battle on the field.
Then in the past two years they discovered they were going to have to rub along nicely instead seeing as they were all part of the same team now. Most were a little nonplussed to discover the home nations had been merged to make Great Britain Sevens.
Robbie Fergusson, the captain of the GB men’s team, says it has taken some getting used to, even for the players.
“I have some of my best memories here from when I was playing for Scotland against England, and the bagpipes were playing and there was the rivalry,” Fergusson said.
“Last year was almost a shock to the fans. They didn’t seem to be fully aware of GB and what that was. There would still be an English contingent, a Welsh contingent and a Scottish contingent.
“[Dubai] was the first tournament last year and as the year went on the GB element grew. We saw Union Jacks and the fans came round to it.
“It will be interesting to see this weekend where we are with it. The expat community is obviously massive, with lots of English support.
“Will they stick with England and not really know as they are there for the party, or have they twigged on to the Great Britain thing?
“We have found that the better you play in these tournaments the more people back you anyway. So that is the simple answer.”
Ayr-born Fergusson knows bagpipes are a little slice of home for him, but he says all of his teammates would appreciate hearing them in the stands.
“Whether you know it or not, you have our own little cultures inside the team, but the English boys love the bagpipes, as do the Welsh boys,” Fergusson said.
“Yes, we know it is iconic of Scotland, but as Great Britain it encompasses what we are as well. It is a thing we love in general, not just for us Scottish players.”
Although England last won in Dubai in 2011, they did finish second in 2015, then third for the four years which followed.
Wales were third in 2012 and fourth in 2016, having won the Rugby World Cup Sevens when it was played in Dubai in 2009.
When they joined forces for the first Olympics sevens tournament in Rio in 2016, they took silver behind Fiji.
And yet the new, permanent GB team has more modest goals at present. They finished ninth on the World Series last season, so retaining their place on the newly revamped 12-team series for next season is priority No 1.
Financial constraints have also altered the way they train. There three four-day camps in Largs near Glasgow, and also played a four-day tournament in Spain.
“The reality of Great Britain is we are still a team that is forming and finding its feet,” Fegusson said.
“We don’t have a training base. We travel to train and everything is camp based for us. We have had really minimal training together, 16 days, when some of these teams will have done 16 weeks.
“That is where we are as a team. We know there is going to be hurt in this but one thing we are is super tight as a group. Our culture is brilliant.
“We realise it is backs against the wall for us which makes you tighter as a group off the field. Whether that translates on the field, maybe not early doors, but I think it will slowly.
“These two weeks [for Dubai and the Cape Town Sevens which follows] are massive for us because it almost doubles our time together. We know there will be hurt involved, but it is about how we learn and develop.”
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'Saand Ki Aankh'
Produced by: Reliance Entertainment with Chalk and Cheese Films
Director: Tushar Hiranandani
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar, Prakash Jha, Vineet Singh
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
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Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Indika
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
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Price: From Dh149,900
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
RESULT
Everton 2 Huddersfield Town 0
Everton: Sigurdsson (47'), Calvert-Lewin (73')
Man of the Match: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton)
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Key facilities
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
