JEDDAH: Jeddah Rugby Football Club (JRFC) will field a severely depleted scratch team for the Dubai Rugby Sevens this year. At least three of the seven players will be Saudi.
The club was delivered a knockout blow to their build-up to the Dubai Sevens when a longstanding leasing agreement made with the American International School in Jeddah (AISJ) was terminated. The grass pitch, rented by the club along with stands and lights, was withdrawn officially on June 13 by AISJ.
Despite their best attempts, members of the club have not been able to find a pitch that is available or adequate for training and matches.
However, the club’s Saudi players traveling to Dubai this week have been sponsored by SAB-Holdings. Their flights and accommodation have been fully covered by the sponsorship JRFC managed to secure for those players who otherwise would not have been able to afford to attend.
In addition, the distributors for Kia Motors, AlJabr Automotive, have sponsored a new playing kit for the coming season. The club believes the attraction of sponsors to be a turning point in the downward decline in the game in Saudi.
The traditional Jeddah versus Royal Navy match, against the visitors from HMS Lancaster this month, was in jeopardy but took place against the odds as a last minute affair. After days of searching Jeddah sports facilities JRFC secured the use of a private football pitch for the game. The cost was covered by JRFC and the game was played in the normal almost friendly and very competitive spirit associated with the Navy matches.
Scott McCarthy, JRFC Membership secretary-treasurer, said that members of the club are pulling a scratch team together, but it would be well below the standards needed to make an impression on some of the well-funded Gulf clubs.
“More significantly, the withdrawal of facilities has disheartened the very keen and fast developing Saudi players,” McCarthy told Arab News. “Over the last few years, we have seen a great interest in the sport among young local men and several of them have shown very impressive potential.
He added that with the inclusion of seven-a-side rugby union in the 2016 Olympics, to dash the hopes of a developing string of useful players would effectively eliminate Saud Arabia from fielding a team.
“There was no reason why, given facilities and training, the Kingdom could not deploy a team that would do itself and the country credit,” he said.
“Now the lads are severely disappointed.”
“Overtime [sic] our school has grown and the number of school related sports activities has grown to include junior rugby league which has become an integral part of our school sports program,” Dr. Mark English, AISJ superintendent, said in his letter. He added that the increase had “put a severe strain on our playing fields in terms of maintenance.” “We saw the potential interest in rugby develop with teams from the Kingdom showing well at major GCC matches,” said David Kinkead JRFC’s fixture secretary.
“Last November saw several Saudi teams with the talented Saudi players in the Dubai Sevens alongside rugby-savvy expatriates. Their very creditable performances encouraged us to push the idea forward and develop rugby in schools.” The BISJ fields six teams and interest in the game has never been higher, Kinkead added. However, they
have no grass pitch in their facilities.
