100 World Legends At Dubai 7s

December 1, 2023

INVITATIONAL RUGBY

The biggest mass-participation rugby 7s tournament in the world, with teams joining us from every corner of the globe. 15 divisions of play as sides run out across the eight beautiful fields of The Sevens Stadium over 3 days, leaving everything on the field before enjoying all that is on offer off the field!

Again, we return with a competitive team made up of ex-internationals from over 10 nations to compete in the International Vets, sponsored once again by Maersk. They are not just sponsoring our team for the tournament, but more importantly, working again with our youth community partners in activities and sports events. Additionally, our supporters will have the opportunity to participate in ‘Meet the Legends’ events, Golf day, and our World Legends Dinner.

THE LEGENDS AT THIS EVENT

Todd Clever

Todd is an American retired rugby union player. He became the first American to play Super Rugby. At the international level, he was a member of the United States national team, served as captain, and is the most capped player in United States rugby union history. He played with the South African Lions franchise in the 2009 Super 14. Clever is the first American player to ever play in the Super 14 and scored the first try for an American in Super 14 against the Hurricanes on March 28, 2009. Clever played for the Lions against the British & Irish Lions.

Ian Gowland

Born England Live Stockholm, Sweden

180cm 80kg

Previous clubs Dudley Kingswinford,

Auckland Marist, Stockholm Exiles.

Reps. Sweden XV 31 caps (top try scorer of all time)

Sweden 7s 35+ tournament Retired from Sweden 7s after the European Trophy this year

7th time in Dubai with 100 world legends

Pedro Leal

Pedro is a Portuguese international rugby player and a regular on the World Rugby Sevens World Series circuit. He plays as a fullback or a scrum-half. He is widely considered Portugal's best player in rugby sevens, and in the 2006/07 IRB Sevens World Series he scored 20 tries from eight tournament appearances. He was the top scorer at the 2008 Hannover Sevens event, with 74 points. Leal is one of only nine players to have scored more than 1,000 points in the World Rugby Sevens World Series. Leal has 76 full caps for Portugal. He played three games at the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

Aderito Esteeves

Esteves has played for Rugby Clube de Oeiras, AEIS Agronomiaand Grupo Desportivo Direito, in Portugal, winning four titles of National Champion for the "Lawyers" team in 2008/09, 2009/10, 2010/11 and 2012/13. Esteves has 34 caps for Portugal, since his first game, a 17-37 loss to Russia, in Lisbon, for the IRB Nations Cup, at 13 June 2006. He wasn't called for the 2007 Rugby World Cup, but has been a regular player for the "Lobos" since then. He has 3 tries scored, 15 points on aggregate for his national team.

Frank Bunce

Frank Bunce is a former New Zealand rugby union player and coach. He played international rugby for both Western Samoa and New Zealand in the 1990s, appearing in the 1991and 1995 World Cups. He played in four international matches for Samoa and 55 for New Zealand (the All Blacks). Bunce coached in Italy from 2001 to 2003, was Auckland's defence coach in 2004 and served as a technical advisor to Samoa in 2005. He is a position-specific coach for the International Rugby Academy in New Zealand.

Dominic Day

Day played rugby union at the age of eight[citation needed], and at the age of 15 starting as a Number 8before being moved to the second row. The PE teacher at Pembroke School, Neil Truman, recommended Day for the Pembrokeshire 'Elite' squad, and at the age of 18, he was invited to join the Scarlets' academy.[3] Around the same time, he applied to the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC) to study for a degree in sports science. In his first year there, he played for the university rugby team, then Scarlets feeder club Carmarthen Quins RFC in his second year, before joining Llanelli RFC for the 2005–06 season in his final year.[3] He made his debut on 21 January 2006. At international level, Day played has played for Wales at under-19, under-21 and Senior levels. In 2004, he played in the U19 World Championships in South Africa, and earned 10 caps overall for the under-19s. The following year, he also participated in the U21 World Championships in Argentina before being selected for the same tournament in France in 2006. In total, he earned 15 caps for the under-21s.[10] In June 2015, Day was named in Wales' initial training squad for the World Cup later in the year.[11] Day made his full international debut aged 29 in the starting line-up for Wales against Ireland on 8 August 2015. In January 2016, Day was named in the Wales squad for the Six Nations Championship.

Jevon Groves

His usual position is back row forward. Groves played for Cardiff RFC, Glamorgan Wanderers RFC and Cross Keys RFC. He made his debut for Newport Gwent Dragons against the Ospreys7 May 2010 as a second-half replacement. In the 2016–17 season, he joined Hong Kong Football Club (rugby section), playing in the Hong Kong Premiership. He is a Wales Under 19 and Under 20 international. Groves captained the Wales Sevens team for the 2010 Commonwealth Games rugby sevens tournament.

Fergus Thompson

Fergus is a Scottish rugby union hooker who plays for Glasgow Warriors. He was a member of the Scotland squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France. Thomson made his Celtic League début in November 2004 for Glasgow Warriors against the Border Reivers. He won his first international cap, aged 23, on 11 August 2007 against Ireland at Murrayfield; Scotland won the match 31–21.

Max Evans

Max Evans is a rugby union player who has won 44 caps for Scotland. He earned his first cap for Scotland against Canada in November 2008. He scored his first try for Scotland on 8 February 2009, after coming on as a substitute for his younger brother, Thom, in the 2009 Six Nations Championship match against Wales. Thom, who also played for the Glasgow Warriors, was later forced to retire from rugby on 1 July 2010 as a result of a spinal injury he sustained in Scotland's 2010 Six Nations Championship match against Wales.

Thom Evans

Thom is a Scottish former international rugby union player and model. He last played on the wing for Glasgow Warriors in the Celtic League. Evans's rugby career ended aged 24 on his tenth appearance for Scotland when he suffered a serious neck injury. He earned his first cap for the Scottish rugby union side in June 2008 vs Argentina. He was selected in the pre 6 Nations 30-man squad for the 2008 Six Nations.

Tommy Seymour

Tommy is a Scottish former professional rugby union player. He made 55 international appearances for the Scotland national rugby union team 2013–2019, scoring 20 tries which placed him fourth-top try scorer for the country. He played in two world cups and the 2017 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand. His regular playing position is wing. In April 2017 Seymour was named as one of two Scottish players selected for the initial British & Irish Lions squad to tour New Zealand in June and July.[9] While not featuring in any of the test matches he appeared in four games on tour scoring one try against the Highlanders and two tries against the Hurricanes. His three tries meant he was the leading try scorer on tour.

Andy Vilk

England capt - is the responsabile tecnico ‘head coach’ of rugby 7s national side for Italy. A rugby union player who played at centre for Calvisano. He played in the forwards for England Sevens and captained the side in Hong Kong. He has played for Sale Sharks and Northampton saints. He is a strong and powerful runner. In February 2005, Vilk made his England Sevens debut in Wellington and was a member of the winning side at the 2006 Hong Kong Sevens, he also won a Commonwealth medal (silver) at Melbourne. He has also been a member of winning sides at tournaments in Dubai, Los Angeles and Wellington in the IRB World Sevens Series. He has played 32 tournaments for England (26 consecutive): 30 IRB World Sevens Series Tournaments, 1 Commonwealth Games and the Rugby Sevens World Cup in Dubai 2009.

Lee Dickson

Lee is an English professional rugby union player who plays at scrum-half for Bedford Blues in the RFU Championship. Dickson played 49 times for Newcastle Falcons between 2004–2008 and 256 games for Northampton Saints between 2008–17. He played for the England national side 18 times between 2012–14. In 2008, Dickson played for England Saxons in the side that defeated Ireland A. He was also called up to the England squad for the 2008 Six Nations Championship. In 2012, Dickson made his debut for the full national team off the bench in England's 6 Nations match with Scotland, in which England won 13-6 and retained the Calcutta Cup. Subsequently, the England scrum half played four of the five games on the South African tour in June 2012. His last appearance in the England jersey is when he played against the All Blacks during the 3-test series in summer 2014. Dickson has since earned 18 caps for England.

Alex Tait

Alex is a former rugby unionplayer, who played for Newcastle Falcons in the English Premiership. Tait's usual position is fullback, but he can also cover at centre. He made his first team début for Newcastle against Cetransa El Salvador in November 2007. After making his first team debut in 2007, Tait became a regular for the Falcons in his decade at the club. Appearing over 200 times by the close of the 2017-2018 English Rugby Premiershipseason. "He has turned in extremely consistent performances which are right up there at the top," said director of rugby Dean Richards at the time. Acknowledging the hard grafting full-back's service to the Falcons.

Serge Betsen

He played his first competitive rugby for the local Clichy based Club Sportif before joining the southern giants Biarritz when he was just 17. Betsen made his first appearance for France aged 23 in 1997, as a replacement against Italy, but did not receive his second call-up until the 2000 Six Nations Championship. Thereafter he became a regular starter in the national team. Nicknamed la Faucheuse (the Grim Reaper), Betsen was regarded as one of the fiercest tacklers in the game, and was also renowned for his high work-rate on the field.

Steffon Armitage

Steffon is an English professional rugby union player who currently plays for French club Stade Niçois. Born in San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago in 1985, Armitage grew up in the south of France, where he and his brothers played for Rugby Nice Côte d'Azur Université-Racing. Armitage began his professional rugby career at Saracens, before signing for London Irish in 2006. Armitage started for London Irish in the 2009 Premiership final against Leicester Tigers. At international level, Armitage was a member of the England Saxons squad that won the 2008 Churchill Cup. On 1 July 2008 he was selected to represent the England Saxons again. Armitage was called up for the England elite squad ahead of the 2009 Six Nations Championship to replace the injured Lewis Moody, making his full international debut in England's 36–11 win against Italy in the opening game.He started both matches in England's drawn two test series against Argentina in June 2009. Armitage went on to win two further England caps in the 2010 Six Nations, coming off the bench in England's wins over Wales and Italy.