IN 7th HEAVEN!

Bahrain Rugby Football Club’s teams are currently putting the final preparations in place for the annual pilgrimage to the Dubai Rugby Sevens this weekend.

With the Gulf Premiership title already in the bag and the Gulf Top Six not starting until the new year, the Sevens offers Bahrain’s teams a welcome return to competitive action in an environment established for expansive, running rugby.

Alongside the elite international men’s and women’s teams travelling to the UAE for the much-anticipated second round of this year’s IRB Sevens World Series, the Bahrain Firsts, Firbolgs, Golden Oldies and Colts will be among over 200 amateur teams participating in more than a dozen other competitions over the course of the weekend.

The Bahrain Firsts will once again take on fierce rivals from around the region in the Gulf Men’s League, with group games to come against Dubai Frogs and Al Ain Amblers tomorrow evening and Dubai Hurricanes I on Friday night, before a quarter-final of some form on Saturday morning.

The squad, which is made up of the core of Bahrain’s first XV, will be led by former Arabian Gulf Sevens international Shane Stapleton and also features seasoned Dubai campaigners Rich Wilkinson, Tom Ham, Sam Wilson and Mike Darch.

Summer signings Oli Luke and Adam Wallace will add attacking threat to a side that also includes last year’s Colts’ stars Ruan Knuppel and Jaxon Mcallister.

The Firbolgs, meanwhile, will come up against Kuwait Lions, Hurricanes III and Jebel Ali Dragons III in the group stages of the Gulf Men’s Open before a knockout game on Friday night.

Bahrain’s most successful team at last year’s tournament, the Firbolgs (men’s seconds) have the luxury of calling upon Caleb Anderson, Jimmy McCallum and Ifhaam Isphahani from that squad, while manager Jason Vine and play-maker Tom Hanratty swap roles from 12 months ago due to respective injury complaints.

The Bahrain Golden Oldies will once again send a wily old pack into battle against Sharjah Fat Old Boys, Abu Dhabi Saracens and Lanka Lions in the group stages of the Gulf Veteran’s category and with club chairman Mehdi Honar, vice-chairman Andrew Wilkie and club president Mike Burton among their ranks, they certainly won’t lack when it comes to decision-making on the pitch.

The last of the four Bahrain teams in action are the first to get their campaign underway as the Colts take on Dubai English Speaking College, Jumeirah College and Dubai Hurricanes in Pool D of the Gulf Under-18s competition.

As one of only two teams from outside the UAE competing in this section, the Bahrain Colts will be up against it but with most of last year’s team, including Freddie Cramp, Paddy Gilbert, Jordan Hayward, Gav Wilkie, Jack Pearce and Remy Officer, on board again, they could spring a few surprises.

Firbolgs manager Jason Vine said preparations had not gone exactly to plan but that he was still confident his team would do the business in Dubai. “On a personal level I’m just gutted not to be able to play,” the Sevens specialist who shattered his shoulder during a game back in September, lamented.

“We’ve not had the best of build-ups with a few niggly injuries and some disciplinary issues with my back-room team but I’m glad to say we’ve put all those behind us now and we’re looking forward to the weekend.

“Obviously it’s a new team that will be taking to the field at this year’s Sevens but we’ve a core group of the lads who went there last year and performed so well when nobody gave us a fighting chance and I think that will give us great belief.”

The local competitions will kick off proceedings at the annual Dubai Rugby Sevens tomorrow afternoon, with the international tournaments getting underway the following day.

Over the course of the weekend, more than 120,000 people are expected to pass through the gates of the ground to savour the sporting action, the party atmosphere and the famous hospitality.

l Anyone traveling to the event is encouraged to come along and cheer on the Bahrain teams in action. For the full schedule of Bahrain games, check out www.bahrainrfc.com or www.facebook.com/bahrainrfc.