The United Arab Emirates U18 rugby sevens team has won the 2024 Asia Rugby Emirates U18 Sevens Championship in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, defeating Hong Kong China 43-0 in the final to retain their title from the previous year.
UAE Boys Go Unbeaten With 221 Points
The UAE boys were imperious throughout the tournament, winning all five of their matches without conceding a single point. Their pool-stage results were equally one-sided: Saudi Arabia 57-0, Singapore 24-0, Malaysia 48-0, and India 49-0 — before capping a perfect weekend with a 43-0 demolition of Hong Kong China in the gold-medal match.
Coach Andy Jones said the squad had "delivered the highest standards" of rugby sevens, noting that "the UAE played with expansive width that challenged their opponents throughout the weekend." Nicholas Fritz was the tournament's standout performer, finishing as top scorer with 6 tries and 11 conversions.
Trophy Presented at Stadium Ragbi
Qais Al-Dhalai, President of Asia Rugby, handed the championship cup to the UAE team at Stadium Ragbi in Johor Bahru. The tournament brought together 15 teams across both boys and girls categories — nine boys' sides and six girls' sides — underlining the growing reach of youth rugby across the continent.
UAE Girls Finish Fifth as Hong Kong Wins
The UAE girls' team had a tougher tournament, finishing fifth after losing their opening match to India 15-0 and drawing 10-10 with Malaysia. Hong Kong China ultimately won the girls' title, defeating Thailand 27-0 in the final, with Malaysia taking bronze by beating India 12-0.
Back-to-Back Asian Titles for UAE Boys
The UAE boys' victory marks back-to-back Asia Rugby U18 Sevens titles. In 2023, both the UAE boys and girls teams had achieved a historic double in Taipei. While the girls were unable to repeat that feat this time around, the boys' dominant display in Malaysia confirmed UAE's standing as the premier under-18 rugby sevens nation in Asia.
