The first whistle goes at 8am on Saturday. By the time the last final is played on Sunday afternoon, children from under-6 to under-18 will have filled four pitches at Zayed Sports City.
The Abu Dhabi Harlequins Junior Rugby Tournament takes place on November 7 and 8. It covers 15 age groups, and both boys and girls take part.
Saturday belongs mostly to the youngest players and the girls. The minis, from under-6 to under-9, play on day one. So do the under-13s, the under-18 boys and all four girls’ age groups.
Sunday is for the under-10 to under-12 mixed sides and the under-14 and under-16 boys.
The format changes as the players get older. The youngest groups play tag and non-contact rugby. The older age groups move into full contact under the UAE Rugby Federation’s age-grade laws.
For the under-6s and under-7s, the score doesn’t count. They play a festival format of friendly games against other clubs, and nobody keeps a table.
From under-8 upwards, teams play pool matches and then knockout rounds through to semi-finals and finals. Most games last two seven-minute halves with a three-minute break. The under-6 to under-8 groups play 10-minute games.
Play is spread across Pitches A, B, C and D. The tournament HQ, food stalls and awards area sit on the hub below Pitch D2. The Quins kit shop is next to the Tennis Centre. Parents who want to follow other games can use the match-day app at adhjrt.com/app. It shows fixtures, live scores and pool tables.
The tournament is run by Abu Dhabi Harlequins, a not-for-profit club that has been going since 1970 and is run by volunteers. Terry Rooke is tournament director and Candice Woodhead is junior manager. All proceeds go back into grass-roots rugby at the club.
HSBC is the principal partner for this year’s tournament.
Full fixtures and pitch allocations are published on the tournament website, adhjrt.com.
