Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
I found myself in Abu Dhabi last week for the first time; yes, I’m finally spreading my wings!
Reluctantly, I had agreed to step in to the husband’s shoes and follow our son with the Bahrain Rugby Football Club team to the biggest tournament of the season. Due to work commitments (so the husband claimed) and the 10k leg of the Bahrain Roadrunner’s Grand Prix series (the real reason), he couldn’t go. Meanwhile, our son was giving me those puppy dog eyes that he does so well and I found myself packing a bag.
It was a real eye opener to say the least!
The trip went far beyond my expectations and I mean that in a positive way, I learned just how wonderful team sports can be.
The Bahrain Rugby U12 & U13 teams played some excellent games. They did Bahrain proud not only by their performances but by their behaviour and good sportsmanship on-and-off the field.
The camaraderie between the boys, their coaches and the parents was incredible and I realised that there’s so much more to a team than the game alone.
My initial apprehension of spending a weekend at a rugby tournament with 2,500 participants soon went out the window. New friendships were formed and, importantly, I got to know all of our son’s teammates and their parents along with the dedicated volunteer coaches.
Without any hesitation, I’ll be signing up for the next tournament for sure. Dubai, here I come!
