24-25 JANUARY 4,000 children from GCC to play in annual grassroots rugby festival at Sevens Ground, Dubai Dubai, UAE – 16 January 2014: More than 4,000 young rugby players from around the GCC, aged 6 to 18, will converge on The Sevens Ground in Dubai on 24-25th January to take part in the 4th edition of the HSBC Rugby Festival Dubai 2014, one of the biggest grassroots rugby events in the Middle East. The HSBC Rugby Festival Dubai forms the second leg of the HSBC Youth Rugby Series - a competition that brings together four HSBC-sponsored junior rugby festivals in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Bahrain and Doha and sees over 5,000 youngsters playing competitive rugby every year. All teams participating at the festival in Dubai are automatically eligible to earn points towards an end of season grand prize, presented by HSBC. The event is co-hosted by the Dubai Exiles and Dubai Hurricanes, two of the leading teams in Gulf rugby. Speaking on behalf of the organisers, Emil Seyfferdt, Chairman of Mini and Youth Rugby at Dubai Hurricanes said, “The HSBC Rugby Festival Dubai really is the showpiece event for junior rugby in the Middle East. The event has grown every year with 2014 seeing almost 150 teams from 11 clubs vying for top honours.” New to the event this year is the HSBC Skills Zone – the ultimate test of rugby's core skills; speed, agility and strength – bringing rugby fun for the whole family. In addition, HSBC customers who present a valid card will also be eligible for an exclusive gift. Marcus Hurry, HSBC's Deputy Chief Executive in the UAE, is looking forward to starting the new year on a winning note, with one of the bank's key grassroots festivals in the Middle East: “HSBC's grassroots rugby programme is at the heart of our commitment to the future of the sport and we are glad that we can constantly support festivals such as the HSBC Rugby Festival in Dubai,” he said. “This fantastic event is a great opportunity to witness some of the best young talent in the sport and brings together children and families for a memorable day out.” HSBC's commitment to rugby on a regional and global scale spans all levels of the game, from the grassroots and development level with the HSBC Youth Rugby Series and UAE Rugby Federation's Player Pathway Programme, to the elite level as a main sponsor of the Emirates Dubai Rugby Sevens and title sponsor of the HSBC Sevens World Series. In recent years HSBC's rugby initiatives have opened the world of rugby to new audiences and encouraged thousands of youngsters across the world to get active and embrace the core values of the sport – courage, respect, teamwork and integrity. The Dubai Hurricanes formed in 1999 and have enjoyed huge success and development both on and off the pitch. In 2012 they opened the Dubai Rugby Academy, a major out-of-season facility with ambassador Colin Charvis (ex British Lion and Captain of Wales with 94 caps). The Dubai Exiles RFC is the region's oldest and most prestigious rugby club dedicated to playing, enjoying and promoting rugby and netball with over 720 members from age 4 all the way through, in some cases, to over 60 years of age.
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