The UAE Rugby’s Boys and Girls teams emerged victorious in both categories at the Asia Rugby Under 18 Sevens Championship held at the Taoyuan Arena in Taoyuan, Chinese Taipei. These victories solidified their status as the reigning champions in the Asian Under 18 Championships, mirroring their remarkable triumph in Kathmandu, Nepal, just a year ago.
This year’s edition of the tournament proved to be exceptionally competitive with the return of Hong Kong China, with all four semi-finalists fiercely vying for the coveted gold medals.
Match Officials for Asia Rugby U18 Sevens Championship Announced
The tournament featured participation from 12 teams, including seven boys teams and five girls teams, with Chinese Taipei hosting teams from the UAE, Hong Kong China, Thailand, India, Iran, and Malaysia.
In the boys’ competition, UAE finished the tournament as the sole undefeated team, characterised by a dominant performance against India in the semifinals, where they secured an emphatic 37-0 victory. Meanwhile, in the other semifinal, Hong Kong China faced the home team, Chinese Taipei, in a thrilling contest that saw Hong Kong China triumph with a 14-12 scoreline in the dying minutes.
In the highly competitive final showdown, UAE emerged as victors, narrowly defeating Hong Kong China with a final score of 12-5.
Final Standings:
Boys:
Gold: UAE
Silver: Hong Kong China
Bronze: Chinese Taipei
4th: India
5th: Malaysia
6th: Thailand
7th: Iran
In the girls’ event, the competition followed a round-robin format with the five teams in one pool, with the top two teams, UAE and India, fiercely battling for supremacy in the final. Once again, the final match proved to be captivating and highly competitive, with UAE prevailing over the vastly improved and talented Indian team with a final score of 10-5. UAE’s victory marked a sweet revenge, as they had previously lost to India by the same margin during the pool stages.
Final Standings:
Girls:
Gold: UAE
Silver: India
Bronze: Hong Kong China
4th: Thailand
5th: Chinese Taipei
This year’s Asia Rugby Under 18 Sevens Championship showcased the remarkable young rugby talents of Asia and served as a testament to the growth of rugby in the region. All games can be viewed on-demand on the Asia Rugby YouTube Channel.
