Joining Jack boost Dubai Rugby Sevens chances with bold union recruitment drive

DUBAI // The last time Owen Farrell and Richard Wigglesworth went to a major tournament together, they were pitched into the “pool of death” with Australia and Wales in the World Cup.

What a difference two months make. This weekend, their team will be vying to make it out of a group also involving Cairo Old Crocs, Krasnoyarsk and Racing Club of Lagos.

The opposition players will be betraying signs of a middle-age spread, which is fair enough, seeing as it is a veterans 10-a-side event.

The Saracens and England half-back pairing are part of the high-profile entourage of Joining Jack, a charity side raising awareness of Duchenne muscular dystrophy research.

For the past three years, the team have been a conspicuous presence in the International Vets event in Dubai, with a playing roster that has included household names from the world of rugby league.

They even had Bradley Wiggins, the British Olympian and Tour de France winner, as their water-boy the first year they came to the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens, back in 2012.

[Six must-see matches on Day 1 of 2015 Dubai Rugby Sevens]

What they have lacked in their three competitions to date, though, has been some union nous — and, as a consequence, a title to celebrate.

Joining Jack’s lavish recruitment drive this year has not solely extended to the world’s most over-qualified cheerleaders.

Farrell and Wigglesworth will be on the sideline, but the charity side have called up some heavy artillery from the world of rugby union to the playing field, too.

Nathan Hines, who won 77 caps for Scotland before retiring this year, will bolster the pack. Tom May, who played both sevens and XVs for England, will direct the traffic from the midfield.

They may have lost Jason Robinson from the wing but Mark Cueto should provide an able deputy, given his experience of 55 Tests for England — one of which was the World Cup final in 2007 — as well as the fact he has scored more tries than anyone in the history of the English Premiership.

“I’ve been trying my best to keep fit, maybe not as much as I would like, but I’m sure it will be fine,” said Cueto, who retired from professional rugby at the end of last season.

“Some of the biggest names that have ever played rugby league are involved [with Joining Jack]. Regardless of whether they have been retired for a while, they still have that competitive instinct.

“The bigger picture is to raise awareness and important funds for the charity, but deep down these boys want to win.

[10 must-watch rugby legends rolling back the years at 2015 Dubai Sevens]

“That is what they have based their lives and careers on, and that habit doesn’t die off at all.”

May, another of the new recruits, represented England in the abridged format before playing Test match rugby under Clive Woodward.

A belated trip to Dubai is going to be gratefully received by a player whose world series experience did not exactly amount to a grand tour.

“I played two tournaments for England sevens — London and Cardiff,” said May, who landed his invite to join Joining Jack after a chance meeting with Paul Sculthorpe, one of the side’s stalwarts, at a charity match.

“Out of everywhere I could have gone on a world series, I ended up with those. I haven’t been to the Dubai Sevens. I’m looking forward to it.

“It will be quite weird playing with a load of rugby league lads. The guys want to have a good time, and do good work for the charity, but ultimately there is a desire to do as well as we can.”

pradley@thenational.ae

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @NatSportUAE