Mehlah team launched as Oman's first touch rugby club

Muscat: The Mehlah team was launched as the first club to introduce touch rugby in the Sultanate of Oman, in Al Sharqiyah North Governorate, under the auspices of Shaikh Mohammed bin Salim al Maashani, Wali of Dima W'attayeen, and Abdullah al Humhami, a member of the Majlis Ash'shura in the wilayat, with the attendance of members of the Municipal Council and the Oman Rugby Associations.

Mohammed al Hashami, the national rugby team's president, welcomed the idea of launching the first rugby club in the Sultanate of Oman, expressing his great joy at this historic step. He said: "The establishment of the first touch rugby club is an important achievement for sports in Oman, and we are proud to see this development happening in our region. Rugby is a sport that needs more support and attention, and we hope this step will motivate other clubs in different governorates to adopt this game. Our vision is for rugby to become part of the recognised sports activities at the national level, and for us to see an Omani league with many teams regularly practicing this sport. We hope to see more clubs join this field, as rugby is not just a sport but a means of developing players' physical and tactical fitness."

Mehlah team launched as Oman's first touch rugby club

For his part, the national team's coach, Brian Hopkins, expressed his great enthusiasm for forming the first touch rugby team in the Sultanate of Oman, stressing the importance of this step in spreading the game more widely. He said: "We are very happy to form the first official touch rugby team in Oman. This step marks the beginning of the game’s wider spread, which we have been aiming for some time. Sports, in general, require continuity and development, and rugby is no exception. Our goal is to make it a popular sport starting with the younger age groups. Our focus now will be on schools and universities, as we believe these stages have the greatest impact on building a new generation of players. We are looking for talented players of all ages to be the core of the national team in the future."

At the end of the event, the national team's coach conducted a practical training session for the new team members at the club’s headquarters, focusing on the basics of the game and the essential tactics the team needs for future success.