From 28-30 November 2025, more than 392 teams from 34 countries will be involved across multiple sports at Emirates Dubai Sevens 2025. We look at some of the Asian teams and other exciting sides to keep an eye on outside of the main tournament.
Feature Photo Credit- Emirates Dubai 7s – For the fans going, remember that the Saturday theme is “Superheroes and Villains”.
International Invitational Teams – Emirates Dubai 7s 2025
The organisers said: “This year’s Invitational teams bring together an exciting mix of international talent, including the Springboks Women, Kazakh Nomas and the Irish competing in the women’s competition.
On the men’s side, fans can look forward to watching the UAE Shaheens, Monaco Impis and China battle it out on the pitch. With top teams, fierce competition and unmatched atmosphere, it’s set to be a weekend of world-class rugby you won’t want to miss.”
From Asia, the Chinese women’s development team (Phoenix) are in a tough pool with Asian rivals Kazakhstan, as well as Belgium, Brazil, and favourites Australia A.
On the Men’s side, both Asian teams, China and UAE Shaheen, are in the same pool, while one of the teams to watch in the division will be Shogun (Winners of the HKFC 10s 2025 and SCC 7s 2025).
The International Invitational Women’s teams and pools are:
Pool A
- Australia A
- China Phoenix
- Belgium
- Brasil 7´s
- Kazakhstan Women’s Nomads
Photo Credit- Rocky Khan – China Phoenix Women – Emirates Dubai 7s 2025
Australia A Women
Australia A side features Maya Stewart (2024 Wallaroos Player of the Year) and Waiaria Ellis (also named in the Australia U18s Global Youth Sevens for the December 2025 tournament), while Tia Hinds makes her return after her first year in the XVs team. The stacked side also includes Olympians Bridget Clark and Kahli Henwood, as well as players who have represented the senior 7s side: Kiiahla Duff, Piper Simons, and Sidney Taylor.
They will be one of the favourites to win the division in Dubai and are in the same pool as Belgium, Kazakhstan, China and Brazil.
- Bridget Clark – NSW
- Anaia Cruickshank – NSW
- Kiiahla Duff – NSW
- Waiaria Ellis – NSW
- Rhani Hagan – Queensland
- Kahli Henwood – Queensland
- Piper Simons – NSW
- Maya Stewart – NSW
- Sidney Taylor – Queensland
- Zoe Waters – Queensland
- Amelia Whitaker – NSW
- Emmisyn Wynyard – Queensland
Pool B
- Ireland Invitational
- Poland
- Springbok Women’s 7s A
- Lydon Vaquita Hammerheads
- Sweden
Springbok Women’s Sevens ‘A’
Shiniqwa Lamprecht has been named as captain of the Springbok Women’s Sevens ‘A’ squad, which includes six players, including her (Liske Lategan, Leigh Fortuin, Vianca Boer, Patience Mokone and Byrhandré Dolf,) who won the Rugby Africa Women’s Sevens Cup recently to qualify for SVNS Division 3.
Springbok Women 15s representative Faith Tshauke will run out at The Sevens Stadium for the first time in a representative team.
SA coach Cecil Afrika said, “We will be returning to Dubai in January when we play in the Challenger 3 tournament, so this is important in building towards the depth of the squad we want to select from.
At the same time, we are giving those senior players another opportunity to play sevens in a very competitive environment. We have some tough games, with Poland in particular that will be very competitive, but what I want to see from this team is one that can execute their roles and take responsibility when playing for a national side.”
Forwards: Liske Lategan, Thandi Fudu, Faith Tshauke, Shiniqwa Lamprecht (captain), Leigh Fortuin, Lerato Makua.
Backs: Vianca Boer, Jane Mulder, Shanidine Bezuidenhout, Patience Mokone, Shannon-Lee Windvogel, Byrhandré Dolf.
Photo Credit – SARU
The International Invitational Men’s teams and pools are:
Pool A
- Shogun RFC
- Phoenix
- Golden State Storm
- Froggies
- Olorun Sharks
Pool B
- China
- UAE Shaheen
- Scimitar Storm
- Monaco Impis
- Speranza 22
- South Sevens Rugby
You can follow all the teams and results on the Emirates Dubai 7s App.
Shogun Squad (Men)
When the famous touring teams play in Asia, they tend to lean on players from NZ and the Pacific, but in Dubai, the team has a strong South African contingent.
The 2025 squad includes emerging South African sevens players drawn from the national playing group. The Shogun side is captained by Tiaan Pretorius, who, alongside Dewald Human and Sebastiaan Jobb are capped SA Sevens internationals.
Shogun International RFC squad: Siya Ndlozi, Juan Smith, Grant de Jager, Joubert Schoeman, Joel Leotlela, Tiaan Pretorius (captain), Bentley Geldenhuys, Rowan Malgas, Nabo Sokoyi, Dewald Human, Sebastiaan Jobb, Renaldo Young.
UAE Shaheen (Men)
The UAE Shaheen has several Fiji and local UAE players, and the side in 2025 has won the Algarve 7s and Borneo 7s titles. They also played the Fiji 7s team in a hit out in the build-up to the Dubai 7s.
Invitational Open – Emirates Dubai 7s 2025
The Invitational Open Division is one below the Invitational, but still features some top talent from around the globe.
From Asia, the Hong Kong China Dragon Men and Women are involved in sending blended teams of those players who have represented the senior 7s team, as well as pathway players. The Kazakhstan Men (who just won the Asia Rugby 7s Trophy and should be in the top tier in Asia next year), as well as the Sri Lions, are also competing.
Selected Pools:
Men’s Pool A
- Sri Lions
- SAS Rugby
- OG 7s
- Malta 7’s
- Godfathers Rugby
Men’s Pool B
- Hong Kong China Dragon Men
- Kazakhstan Men
- Wonder 7’s
- Speranza 22
- Cavaliers RFC
The HKCR Men’s team has Tomos Howells acting as Head Coach with the squad including players who have competed at the LIT Super Sevens Series, the Dubai tournament last year and some Asia Rugby Sevens Series as well as U20s. The Men’s co-captains are Joshua Eustace and Billy Rigby
Rigby said via HKCR, “The squad we have in Dubai is quite a young one, but we also have some experienced players in the group. We have some younger lads who have come through HKCR U20 7s, so it’s great to have them on board with us.”
HKCR Men’s Squad – Emirates Dubai 7s 2025
- MBA OYANA Juan Esono – USRC Tigers
- CLARKE Oliver – Brothers Club AUS
- RIGBY William (Co-Captain) – Kowloon
- NG Yuk Shing – Kowloon
- MOSES Alexander – HKFC
- COMBES Jack – USRC Tigers
- CHEUNG Camill – USRC Tigers
- EDEN Justin – USRC Tigers
- DUKHANDE Shiven – USRC Tigers
- ELLIOT Blake – USRC Tigers
- EUSTACE Joshua (Co-Captain) – USRC Tigers
- NICHOL Sam – USRC Tigers
Womens Pool A
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- Hong Kong China Dragon Women
- Monaco Umusa
- Eastwood Rugby
- Wonders 7s
- Mauritian Barbarians
- Arctic Sisu 7’s
- Akuma Savvy Panthers
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Robbie Fergusson is the HKCR Women’s Head Coach in Dubai, and the squad is captained by 7s/15s and ChildFund Rugby Ambassador Pun Wai Yan (PY). Included in the team are senior 7s players Shanna Forrest, Grace Hood, Jess Eden, Gabriella Rivers, Hoi Yan Poon, and Etta Kwong.
Elsie Hulme is in the squad and was part of the HKCR U20 7s squad that were runners-up earlier this year at the Asia Rugby U20 Sevens in India.
PY said, “We know that it will be very competitive, but we have a mixed group of young and experienced players in the squad. We are bringing a lot of potential and positive energy to end the year on a high.”
HKCR Women’s Squad – Emirates Dubai 7s 2025
- FORREST Shanna – Kowloon
- LANGFORD Sophie – Overseas
- TSE Joyce – Valley
- Pun Wai Yan (Captain) – Gai Wu
- HULME Elsie – HKFC
- HOOD Grace – HKFC
- EDEN Jessica – Valley
- RIVERS Gabriella – Kowloon
- FISHER Emily – Kowloon
- POON Hoi Yan – USRC Tigers
- BOURK Jamie Claire – HKFC
- FREEMAN Teah – Overseas
- Etta Kwong – Valley
Other Asian teams (and there are many, never mind the Gulf categories) to take note of are:
- The Kurdistan Development (Men) team is playing in the Super Social Division.
Charitable Vets Teams Stacked With Talent
Every year at the Dubai 7s, there are several teams representing good causes and charities that are stacked with international talent.
Some to watch in 2025 in the International Vets include:
Riyadh Rugby Legends
- Tevita Cavubati
- Kane Thompson
- Ben Funnell
- Shemaiah Evans
- Lyndsay Gibson
- Jamie Vivian
- Saul Piper
- Patrick Raupach
- Willi Heinz
- Nigel Ah Wong
- Henry Speight
- Phil Burgess
- Richard de Carpentier
- Jacques Boussuge
- Jimmy Wheeler
Nga Toa o Abu Dhabi / Warriors of Abu Dhabi
The team is seriously stacked….and the side is supporting Autism Awareness and resources through the Takiwatanga Initiative.
Confirmed members include:
- Sam Tuitupou (Captain) – Former All Blacks and Super Rugby
- Alex Goode (Vice-captain) – Former England, Saracens and NEC Green Rockets
- Victor Vito – Former All Blacks and 2x European winner with La Rochelle
- Alasio Ndauva – Fiji 7s
- Francois Hougaard – Former 7s and 15s Springbok
- Dan Pryor – Former Maori All Black, Highlanders and Sunwolves
- Karne Hesketh – Former Brave Blossoms and Highlanders
- Anthony Tuitavake – Former All Black and the Blues
- Scott Curry – Legendary NZ 7s player
- Sean Maitland – Former Scotland XVs and Saracens
- Jake Paringatai – Former Maori All Black, Super Rugby Hurricanes and Crusaders
- Rene Ranger – Former All Black, Super Rugby Blues
dnata Bali Legends 2025
The dnata Bali Legends team is an annual participant at the Dubai 7s and supports Dan’s Fund For Burns. The Bali Legends will be playing in memory of the 27 rugby players who lost their lives in Bali and raising funds for the charity.
Polly Brooks, MBE. CEO and Founder of Dan’s Fund For Burns told Rugby Asia 247, “The dnata Bali legends are pleased to be back for the 15th year, to defend their International Vets title at the Dubai 7s. They are excited to promote Dan’s Fund For Burns’s charity work and play in memory of the 27 rugby players who perished in the Bali Bombings.”
As Polly mentioned, the team are the defending champions of the Dubai 7s International Vets Cup.
Players this year include, among others:
- Tim Tanai Williams – Former Samoa 7s and XVs, NZ 7s, Ricoh Black Rams etc
- Juan Imhoff – Former Argentina XVs and 7s, Racing Metro
- Vereniki Goneva – Former Fiji XVs and 7s, Leicester, Newcastle, Harlequins
- Charles Broughton – London Scottish, Kamikaze 7s
- Ethan Matthews – Former Wales U16 & U18, UAE 7s & 15s
- Maxime Mermoz – Former France U21 and XVs, Toulouse, Toulon, Newcastle, Leicester etc
- Pama Fou – Former Australia 7s, Western Force, Rebels
- Pierre-Gilles Lakfia – Former France 7s, Grenoble, Toulouse, Castres etc
- Raphael Lakfia – Former France U20, XVs, Grenoble, Stade Francais, Toulon etc
- Tito Tebaldi – Former Italy XVs & 7s, Ospreys, Harlequins, Benetton etc
- Samu Vunisa – Former Italy XV, Fiji U20 and U19, Saracens etc.
The Barefoot Project
The rugby team over the years have had a number of former international representatives in Dubai. The Barefoot Project uses sports and education to empower underprivileged children globally.
“The Worldwide Barefoot Project is a fantastic charity that provides sports footwear, kits, and educational opportunities to underprivileged children in communities across the globe, including in Fiji, Kenya, and South Africa.”
We have not seen any squad news at the time of publishing.
Rugby Legends Masterclasses – Friday, 28 November
Attending the tournament in 2025 are Tom Mitchell and Emily Scarratt (Emirates Dubai 7s Ambassadors), while former internationals Ben Youngs and Dan Cole (who run the popular podcast ‘For The Love of Rugby’) will all be sharing tips, on-field insights and skills.
- Session 1 – Under 16s: 13:30 – 14:00 (Tom Mitchell & Emily Scarratt)
- Session 2 – Under 14s: 14:30 – 15:00 (Ben Youngs & Dan Cole)
- Session 3 – Under 10s: 15:30 – 16:00 (Ben Youngs & Dan Cole)
- Session 4 – Under 12s: 16:30 – 17:00 (Tom Mitchell & Emily Scarratt)
How To Watch The Emirates Dubai 7s 2025?
Depending on your region, the main tournament will be available on RugbyPassTV, while many of the other tournaments will be streamed via the tournament YouTube channels.
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