Friday 16 / August / 2024
MUSCAT: July 14, Sunday, will go down in the history of Oman sports as a historic day when the national touch rugby team played their first international match against the Philippines in a friendly in Nottingham, UK.
Up against the top ranked team, Oman, who are not ranked, fought well before going down 1-7. The national team is all set to make its historic debut at the Touch Rugby World Cup (TRWC), which will be played from July 15-21. The team arrived in London on Saturday for the World Cup that will feature 40 countries and 180 teams.
Oman, captained by Haitham Al Harthy, have been placed along Lebanon, France, Scotland, Australia, Hong Kong, England, United States, and Papua New Guinea in men’s open Group A. The tournament will be played in a single round-robin format.
Oman meet Lebanon in World Cup opener on July 16, Tuesday, and then take on France later in the day. They meet Scotland on July 17 and then play a double-header the next day against Australia and Hong Kong respectively.
On July 19, they meet hosts England in the morning followed by an afternoon match against Unites States. Oman conclude their group engagements on July 20 with a match against Papua New Guinea.
Nabil Al Busaidi, Oman Rugby Chairman said: “This is a historic participation of Oman at the World Cup. We are proud to compete at this level. We have worked hard to prepare for this event.”
The team had preparatory camp in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and also held domestic camps ahead of the World Cup.
“We are proud to be the only Gulf team participating at the World Cup and it definitely is a matter of pride,” he added.
This is the maiden participation of national team at the Touch Rugby World Cup. The qualification is a testament to the efforts made by Oman Rugby over the past few years.
The success reflects years of hard work, dedication, and strategic planning within the country’s rugby infrastructure.
The players, coaching staff, and all those involved in nurturing the sport in Oman are now reaping the rewards of their tireless efforts with the maiden participation at the World Cup.
