Dubai Hurricanes came together as a club on Friday to celebrate the lives of three former players with a gala programme of matches and events on Memorial Day.
A minutes’ silence and guard of honour was held prior to the men’s memorial game for Jamie Black, Mark Filby and Mothana ‘Moe’ Khafaji, a trio who passed away in recent years.
A ladies memorial match then followed, with the day culminating with the ‘Probables’ beating the ‘Possibles’ 24-0 as coach Ross Mills assessed his options for the UAE Premiership kick off at Abu Dhabi Harlequins in a fortnight.
“About 1,000 people have come through the door today, and it is a marvellous way to celebrate the lives of the three players,” chairman Simon Lewis said. “It is what rugby clubs are all about.
“It is the perfect way to mark the start of the season for the Hurricanes. It helps bring all the club together. Seeing the senior players giving the shirts out to the mini and youths, plus the parents being involved, is great to see.”
The full-blooded ‘Probables’ v ‘Possibles’ fixture saw the senior Canes players compete for their UAE Conference and Premiership places.
“I had 70-odd players turn up today, and that just shows the strength in depth we have,” Mills said. “I was very happy with the performances I saw. The lads are very fit and know their structures. For a first proper run out, it was all I could ask for.”