The United Arab Emirates men’s and women’s national rugby teams are set to compete in the second leg of the Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Series 2026, taking place this weekend in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The UAE Rugby Federation confirmed that the delegation will travel to Colombo tomorrow, led by Secretary-General Mohamed Sultan Al Zaabi.
In the opening leg of the series held in Suzhou, China, last August, the men’s team secured sixth place, while the women’s team finished seventh. The teams will seek to improve their standings in the upcoming competition.
The men’s squad has been placed in Pool A, alongside Sri Lanka, India, and Hong Kong. Their campaign will begin against the host nation, Sri Lanka, followed by matches against India and then Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, the UAE women’s side will compete in Pool D, facing India, Japan, and Iran. The women will open their tournament against India before playing Japan and Iran in subsequent matches.
Al Zaabi emphasized that the second leg provides an important platform for both teams to enhance their technical skills and gain competitive experience. He highlighted the goal of achieving positive results and building on the foundation laid during the first leg, noting that the teams have undergone successive stages of preparation ahead of the event.