On the 13-year anniversary of the 2002 Bali bombings, the Bali Legends have announced that they will once again be competing at this year’s Emirates Airlines Dubai Rugby Sevens.

It will be the team’s seventh appearance at the popular festival, having first entered in 2007, with former All Blacks stars Xavier Rush and Rico Gear featuring for a team that is sure to be among the main contenders for the International Veterans title in the desert in December.

This year’s team will be sponsored by dnata and the Warwick Hotel and the team will be again be assisted and supported locally by the Dubai Sharks.

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The Sharks and the Arabian Potbellies before them have had a long standing relationship with the Bali Legends, going back to their tournament debut eight years ago.

“This year’s team will be the strongest ever,” boasts the team’s UAE representative, Trefor Elliott. 

“The team will again be led by captain and former Welsh international Peter Rogers, in his sixth year with the Bali Legends, and coached by another former Welsh international, Alix Popham. 

“The forwards and backs have been strengthened this year by the inclusion of a number of new players, including former All Blacks Xavier Rush and Rico Gear.”

On October 12, 2002, in Kuta, Bali, the whole world was rocked by the devastation caused by two terrorist bombs. A total of 202 people were killed.

The rugby world was also hit hard as 27 of those who died in the blasts were players and supporters attending the Bali 10s competition.

This year as in previous years, the Legends will be raising money for the charity Dan’s Fund for Burns (www.dansfundforburns.org) a burns charity set up in the name of one of the rugby players who died in the Bali bombings, Dan Miller.

Polly Brooks (nee Miller) was the only one of 28 people attending the rugby competition to survive the blasts.

She and her husband Dan had been married for just five weeks at the time of the tragedy.

She was at the Sari Club with Dan and friends when the bombs exploded, managing to pull herself out of the wreckage and run, burning and screaming into a nearby street. She was then flown to the Royal Brisbane Hospital, suffering from 43 per cent burns to her body.

During her 10 week stay in hospital, Brooks decided she wanted to create something positive out of what had happened.

She decided to raise funds for burns victims and subsequently set up a charity in her husband’s name.

In November 2003 the first Bali Legends rugby team was put together to play in memory of those who died in a one off game against the Australian Barbarians.

For information email Elliott on zelliott400@gmail.com. Tickets for Dubai Sevens can be bought by visiting www.dubairugby7s.com.