Muscat, June 27
The Oman Rugby Committee (ORC) announced the participation of the national team in the Touch Rugby World Cup, which will be held in the United Kingdom in July.
The announcement came during the conference that was held at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex on Wednesday. Nabil bin Riyadh al Busaidi, Chairman of the Oman Rugby Committee, led the press conference in the presence of several committee members, the national team coach Brian Hopkins, and the selected players to represent the Sultanate of Oman in the tournament.
During the conference, Oman's jersey for the World Cup was launched, and revealed 16 players of the national team.
Nabil al Busaidi said, "The Touch Rugby World Cup is witnessing a record participation with 40 countries and 180 teams from around the world. Some countries will participate with more than one team in the tournament."
Mohammed al Hashami, team leader, expressed his confidence in the Oman national team's ability to achieve positive results in the tournament. "The committee has provided the team with all the necessary training and preparation facilities. We thanked all the supporters and sponsors who contributed to the team's participation in the tournament."
Coach Brian Hopkins said: "We have been training hard for the Touch Rugby World Cup over the past year. We started with a group of 50 players and carefully reduced it to 20 based on skill and ability to train. Training has intensified in recent weeks. Thanks to the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, we have benefited from their outdoor track to conduct intensive strength and conditioning training to ensure the players acclimatize to the intensity we will be competing for," he added.
"Training has focused on building endurance for tough competition. Oman's scorching heat is a unique training advantage, and by adapting to these conditions, we will be fully prepared for the warm UK environment, enabling us to deliver exceptional performance.
"Skill was not the only criterion for player selection, but their willingness to learn and dedication to improvement played a crucial role. Some players were complete beginners a year ago, but their sportsmanship and enthusiasm for rugby set them apart. We have built the team on experience and a strong desire to learn and grow.
"To refine our skills, we participated in a friendly competition in Abu Dhabi in April, which was a valuable learning experience. We also faced the UAE in an international friendly match, and although the results were not ideal.
"Our goal extends beyond this tournament, as we strive to ignite passion for rugby among Omani youth. In four years, we look forward to sending men's and youth teams to the World Cup finals. The growth potential is limitless, and Omani youth are the key. These players will become role models, inspiring the next generation to take up the sport," Hopkins said.
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