Sevens in the sun: Dubai rugby's carnival of colour, costumes and even sport

Thousands of sports fans from across the world have descended on Dubai for the annual Rugby Sevens tournament.

Crowds enjoyed glorious sunshine on day two of the annual event, with temperatures hitting 30 degrees.

Now in its 49th year, organisers have said this year’s event will be the biggest ever, with more than 900 rugby and netball matches taking place over three days.

“It’s a big party, so far, so good,” said Nick Moore, 29, a pilot who is originally from New Zealand. “It’s such a social atmosphere, so we’re here half for the sport, half for the party. I’m confident about the rugby.”

As ever, there is a large selection of fancy dress costumes on show. Maddison Perry, from Australia, and Momoki Hirose, both 26-year-old air stewardesses, came dressed as Mario and Luigi.

“We just chose it because it’s cute,” said Maddison. “We wanted to come as a double act.”

The sunshine was particularly welcome for Gareth Thomas, a 51-year-old from England. Despite his nationality, he supports Wales. “I was last here in 2012 when it was pouring down with rain. It’s a lot better this time, although I’m a bit dubious that it’s going to change.”

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Sevens veteran John Gammans, 41, who is from England but lives in Dubai, described the event as “the best weekend in the UAE”. It is the eighth sevens in a row Mr Gammons, who works in construction, has attended. “I just love it for the festival atmosphere,” he said. “And it’s a good sport to watch as well.”

His wife Ciara, a 37-year-old teacher from Ireland, has been for the last three years. “Everyone’s always on top form,” she said. “It’s just a fun day, and the sport is fun to watch. I’m sure Ireland will do well.

Friday’s action followed an estimated 18,000 fans arriving for the first day of the tournament, on Thursday, when the women’s tournament got underway. England pulled off the biggest shock, beating Australia and the USA to finish top of a pool for the first time since 2015-16. New Zealand, the favourites, and Canada were the other sides to go unbeaten on day one.

Entertainment includes a Britney Spears tribute act, a ‘splash n party’ area for children and a Bounce trampoline park.

“This is an exciting year for the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series,” said Bill Beaumont, the chairman of World Rugby. “Not only will the best women’s and men’s sevens teams again compete for the coveted world series title, they will also look to secure their ticket to Tokyo 2020 with the series acting as a principle route for Olympic qualification.

“Dubai has been a long serving and welcoming host for the world series and this year we are especially delighted to be back as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the men’s competition, which held its inaugural round in Dubai in 1999.”

NO OTHER LAND

Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal

Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham

Rating: 3.5/5

Roll of honour: Who won what in 2018/19?

West Asia Premiership: Winners – Bahrain; Runners-up – Dubai Exiles

UAE Premiership: Winners – Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners-up – Jebel Ali Dragons

Dubai Rugby Sevens: Winners – Dubai Hurricanes; Runners-up – Abu Dhabi Harlequins

UAE Conference: Winners – Dubai Tigers; Runners-up – Al Ain Amblers

APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)

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Plastic tipping points

Plastic associations point to recycling and consumer behaviour for pollution

Woman with genetic disorder says single use plastics are 'vital' to her life

UAE v Ireland

1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets

2nd ODI, January 12

3rd ODI, January 14

4th ODI, January 16

Electric scooters: some rules to remember

Riders must be 14-years-old or over
Wear a protective helmet
Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
Do not drive outside designated lanes

Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE

Join parent networks
Look beyond school fees
Keep an open mind

COMPANY%20PROFILE

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Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.

Company%20profile

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The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

The Pope's itinerary

Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport

Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial

Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport

Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)

Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi

Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi

Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai

Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi

Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia

The smuggler

Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.

Khouli conviction

Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.

For sale

A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.

- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico

- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000

- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950