JEDDAH, 19 April 2006 — Bruised but victorious, an all-Saudi rugby seven team — the Saudi Scorpions — returned from Bahrain recently after winning the inaugural Arabian 7’s Challenge Cup. Organized by the Arabian Gulf Rugby Football Union (AGRFU), this was the first time that three Gulf states have played with all the players being Arab nationals. Seen as the underdogs in the challenge, the Saudi team beat off two teams from Qatar and the favorites from the Emirates to capture the trophy.

Their victory was doubly sweet as the Emirates team had previously played competitive rugby and has a New Zealand coach and at least one of the two Qatari teams has government backing and is entered for the Asian Games in December. The Saudi team entered as a scratch team.

David Skidmore, chairman of the AGRFU, which governs rugby in 10 Middle East nations, thought the achievement remarkable. “What was encouraging,” he said of the win, “was that the team was entirely self-driven. They have formed themselves from scratch into a team that can beat other teams in competition.”

“We entered the sevens as our first competition,” said Hamza Zahid, captain and moving force behind the team, “partly because we were limited by numbers and partly because the seven a side game is fast and requires stamina more than weight.”

The team members picked up their passion for rugby while studying abroad. “It came with the schooling,” said Salman Alireza, “and it just stuck with us.” Quick to recognize the support for the team given by the Jeddah Rugby Club, Alireza said that their help had been vital in getting the players into shape physically, reviving rugby skills and supporting new players with little or no experience. “It has been several years since we played, but once back in training, the techniques returned,” he said. “Rugby is very much a contact sport; it was tough getting used to the knocks and bruises and then going to work the next day; in the end though, it was worth it.”

Now the team is looking to build on their success. Their ambition is to represent the Kingdom at the annual Dubai Sevens — one of the world’s top rugby tournaments, this year to be held in December. The tournament has three levels of competition — International, Exiles and Beginners, each reflecting a different standard of competition.

“We hope to go,” said Mohammed Alireza, “but realistically we cannot compete with international teams such as New Zealand or England.”

Nonetheless they aim to enter the Exiles category, a tough and fiercely competitive division where they will meet expatriate teams from the Gulf region and perhaps even their mentors, the Jeddah Rugby Club.

To get this far has taken faith in the team by their main sponsor, Maghrabi Opticals, secondary sponsors Focus Dailies contact lenses and minor sponsors Zahid Heanor Heavy Transport and Car Tech Center (CTC), who are now rewarded with a trophy.

Zahid feels that the Dubai 7’s will be a watershed in the team’s development. “It’s then that we have to decide whether we do this as fun and just to prove ourselves or whether we rack up our commitment and go to the next level and compete seriously against some very hard opposition.”

Soccer — football — has very high public visibility in Saudi Arabia; the team sees this as something of a challenge to raising the profile of rugby as a sport and as character training. “Apart from bumps and bruises, we get a tremendous amount out of the sport,” said Salman. “It’s not just about the physical side; it is a game of strategy under physical stress and hard work to win with potential hard knocks.” He thought for a moment. “Life’s like that too.”

The Scorpions team list is: Hamza Zahid (captain), Salman Alireza, Mohamed Kashoggi, Mohamed Gandeel, Mohamed Asiri, Mohamed Islam, Sumai Ounallah, Rashad Wafaa and Waleed Mubarak.