The First Women’s Rugby Team Will Be Representing Lebanon Internationally
The Emirates Airlines Rugby Dubai 7s is an international rugby tournament that will be happening from December 1- 3, 2016 in Dubai. The Women’s Beirut Select Team will represent women’s rugby in Lebanon at the Dubai 7s for the first time ever. The Men’s Beirut Select Team has been participating in the tournament since the early 90s.
This year, with the help of the Lebanon Rugby Union Federation, a women’s team was picked from multiple women’s rugby teams in Lebanon to form the Women’s Beirut Select Team. The girls have been training hard since the official team was formed in mid-October; almost half the team had been playing rugby league prior to that, which has different rules and a different approach than rugby union. The players have worked together and practiced rugby union diligently three times a week in preparation for the Dubai 7s tournament. They have improved tremendously according to their team manager and coaches. Manager Rim Sinjabe has commented that the trait that sets them apart is their amazing team spirit.
The Women’s Beirut Select Team has been holding fundraisers to raise money to cover the team’s expenses in the form of a rugby touch tournament open for everyone to participate.
This is a huge step for women in the region and for women’s rugby in Lebanon. For more updates and information follow their Instagram, @beirutselectladies. For updates on the Lebanon Men’s Select Team, follow @lebaneserugbyunion.
You can also keep up with game schedules and scores by clicking here.
The team has been coached by Karim Jammal, the captain of the Lebanon National Rugby Union Team, and Sol Mokdad, former Lebanon National Rugby Union Team player. The Women’s Select Team players are Rania Abdallah, Aya Afyouni, Carla Badawi, Reem Bahsoun, Kay Bardawil, Zina Ibrahim, Maya Jannoun, Manwella Sadek, Loubna Sasso, Maya Mourad, and Sara Jaroush. The team’s managers are Rim Sinjabe and Nour Chehimi. The team captain is Zina Ibrahim, and the vice captain is Manwella Sadek.
