Racecourse International Stadium hosts the second leg of the Emirates Airline Asia Rugby Sevens Series 2026 on 17 and 18 October. The Colombo tournament closes the Asian series season, with the 2026 champions and the qualifier for SVNS 3 still to be decided.
The UAE men finished sixth in Suzhou, China, on 29 and 30 August. The women placed seventh. Hong Kong's men beat Japan 19-7 in the final after going unbeaten throughout the tournament. Japan's women defeated China 24-7.
China's men took bronze with a 24-19 win over South Korea. Thailand's women finished third after beating Hong Kong in extra time. Hong Kong's men and Japan's women arrive in Colombo as the series leaders.
Both UAE teams face three group-stage opponents in Sri Lanka. The top two teams in each group advance to the Cup quarter-finals, along with the two best third-placed teams. The remaining sides play classification matches.
The men are in Pool A with Sri Lanka. They then face India, before closing the group stage against Hong Kong. The women are in Pool D with India. Their next opponents are Japan and, last, Iran.
For the UAE squads, the challenge is to turn preparation into better results against Asian opposition. The wider UAE sports calendar also includes international golf, with the Yas Links title race among its recent stories.
Secretary-General Mohammed Sultan Al Zaabi is leading the delegation. Jack Benadi coaches the men. Yusuf Shaker and Khaldoun Al Maleeh are his assistants. Philadelphia Orlando leads the women's coaching setup, while Nizar Mehran is the team administrator.
Al Zaabi said the Colombo round gives both squads a chance to develop through competition against teams from across the continent. He described the tournament as a measure of technical progress and a chance to address areas that need more work before future commitments.
The UAE Rugby Federation expects preparation by both squads and their technical and administrative staff to show in their performances. The men open their pool campaign against Sri Lanka. The women begin against India. Colombo is hosting the series for the second consecutive year. Mobil, represented in Sri Lanka by McLarens Lubricants, is a silver sponsor of the tournament.
