Dubai Sevens: Henry Paul and Mike Wernham hope to restore Dubai Hurricanes to past glories
Dubai Hurricanes, once dominant in rugby, faced setbacks due to the pandemic, disrupting their winning streak and sidelining them from major competitions; however, with the return of Mike Wernham and coach Henry Paul, a former England player with Sevens title experience, the team is poised for a resurgence and eyes success under their revamped leadership.
Former champions have struggled since Covid but are aiming for a brighter future, starting with this weekend
When Covid brought an abrupt halt to world sport, as well as everything else, one of its many effects was to end the longest sequence in UAE sporting history.
For the first time in 51 years, there would be no Emirates Dubai Sevens. The absence of a tournament which predates the formation of the country was sorely felt.
By the time rugby restarted after the pandemic, the landscape had altered. Some slipped straight back into the old routine. South Africa, for example, have won the main event three times in two years since the tournament resumed.
Others faltered. Dubai Hurricanes were the region’s leading force in the abridged format before Covid, winning titles in 2018 and 2019.
They were deprived of a three-peat by the pandemic, and have struggled to get moving since. Last season, one of the region’s biggest clubs did not even field a team in the Premiership for XVs. Neither have they returned to a sevens final.
Now they are fighting back, having assembled a coaching team who know what it is like to taste success at the Sevens.
Mike Wernham, who was the club’s director of rugby when they went back-to-back in 2018 and 2019, has returned.
And the team’s coach is Henry Paul, the former England player who tasted title glory at the Sevens before it was even played at its current site.
Paul was part of the winning England side in the world series tournament back in 2005, which was played at the old Dubai Exiles ground in Al Awir.
He first moved to Dubai in 2016 to dovetail working at a school with coaching Jebel Ali Dragons. He spent four years with Canada’s XVs and sevens sides but returned to Dubai at the start of this year.
“I’m really excited to see what the future holds here for me,” Paul said. “We have six or seven guys who have played for UAE in the past and are fringe players now. They are raring to go. Some have won the Sevens before, others haven’t.
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