DUBAI // The Dubai Rugby Sevens is one of the few sporting events that could provoke the sight of a side who have just been thrashed asking to have their picture taken with their conquerors.
Christina Noble, the defending champions in the International Veterans competition, cruised to three wins on day one of competition yesterday.
As dusk descended and the whistle blew on their final fixture, against the English club side Bishop's Stortford, both sets of players huddled together for a photograph.
It has become the convention for the all-star children's foundation team, who have umpteen Test caps among their playing and support staff.
The former Scotland fly-half Gregor Townsend was the star with the boot, while Brian Lima, the Samoan wrecking-ball, gave notice that he is just warming up ahead of the weekend.
Chris Sheasby, who was part of the England side who won the first Sevens World Cup in 1993, is one of the survivors from last year's title success.
Eager to defend the title, he had the holiday time written into his contract when he signed to be the player/coach of Bracknell.
"I always used to miss the Sevens, because I played in the Premiership till I was 38," said Sheasby, who celebrates his 42nd birthday the day after the tournament. "I wanted to do it while I was still playing well. We had a super team last year, won it - and that makes everything more enjoyable."
The Multiplex Marauders confirmed that they are not about to sacrifice their Local Social title without a fight, by way of two comprehensive wins.
Apollo Perelini, the former Samoa player, made a cameo appearance for Multiplex's biggest rivals, the Air Miles V Blacks.
@Email:pradley@thenational.ae
How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
