NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Business / Companies / Construction

Rugby Sevens venue emerges from Dubai sands

Grant Bradley
By Grant Bradley
Deputy Editor - Business·NZ Herald·
16 Nov, 2008 03:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Emirates Airline's Gary Chapman in front of The Sevens. Photo / Grant Bradley
Emirates Airline's Gary Chapman in front of The Sevens. Photo / Grant Bradley

Emirates Airline's Gary Chapman in front of The Sevens. Photo / Grant Bradley

KEY POINTS:

Near abandoned camel farms in the desert, another of Dubai's construction feats is nearing completion.

From the sand is emerging a rugby complex to seat 40,000 fans for next year's Rugby World Sevens and the first round of the annual world sevens circuit starting on November 27.

Steering the project is Gary Chapman, a New Zealander who is Emirates Airline's president of group services and its logistics and tourism business, Dnata.

The 423-day construction timetable would be the envy of most stadium projects around the world.

Chapman has been with the airline since 1987 and several years ago was shoulder tapped to take charge of the airline's growing commitment to rugby sponsorship.

"I was the New Zealander so they thought I must be interested in rugby," he said in the venue 30 minutes' drive from Dubai city centre.

About 120,000cu m of water a day, most from deep wells, will ensure the six pitches retain their bowling green look where it rains a handful of times a year.

Chapman is reluctant to be drawn on details of Emirates' financial commitment to the venue, saying only it would be more than $100 million and is very much in keeping with the airline's growing portfolio of sports sponsorships.

Last month the airline signed up as the first major sponsor to the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, following its sponsorship of last year's event, and has renewed its commitment to Team New Zealand for the next three years.

Among other big sponsorships, the 23-year-old airline is backing the football world cup and was seen prominently at the finishing post at the Melbourne Cup.

Emirates is not building a rugby complex in the desert just for the love of sport. Dubai is rushing to create as many reasons to visit as possible to provide long-term revenue when its oil runs out next decade.

Chapman says rugby in the emirate was originally played on sand over 40 years ago. It began with a small group of British expatriates who founded the Exiles Club. Growth was rapid, despite an early minor setback when a line of telegraph poles was built up the middle of the sand pitch at the ground at Al Awir, 10km out of Dubai. Matches were first played on grass in 1995 and three years later Dubai joined the international sevens circuit.

The new venue, known as The Sevens, will be partially completed by the end of the month and fully operational for the sevens world cup next March.

Around 1200 workers have been toiling on the project. The Sevens' permanent grandstand will have 4000 seats and temporary stands will cater for up to 40,000 people.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Construction

Property

'Special ceiling': Kauri snails adorn new Auckland train station

03 Jul 03:00 AM
Premium
Property

$66m repair bill for Auckland apartments sparks court action

02 Jul 11:28 PM
Premium
Property

Planned for years, 25% owner sells out of Queenstown's Lakeview Taumata

02 Jul 03:00 AM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Recommended for you
Thailand's former defence chief to become acting PM
World

Thailand's former defence chief to become acting PM

03 Jul 03:34 AM
Construction on Dunedin Hospital resumes after delays, cost blowouts and protests
Politics

Construction on Dunedin Hospital resumes after delays, cost blowouts and protests

03 Jul 03:27 AM
'Loud, threatening': Armed police swarm train at Ōtāhuhu Station
New Zealand

'Loud, threatening': Armed police swarm train at Ōtāhuhu Station

03 Jul 03:24 AM
Woolworths mistakenly tells 500,000 members they will receive a gift voucher
Retail

Woolworths mistakenly tells 500,000 members they will receive a gift voucher

03 Jul 03:13 AM
'Got to dream': Paddon hopeful of launching WRC team
Motorsport

'Got to dream': Paddon hopeful of launching WRC team

03 Jul 03:00 AM

Latest from Construction

'Special ceiling': Kauri snails adorn new Auckland train station

'Special ceiling': Kauri snails adorn new Auckland train station

03 Jul 03:00 AM

'Representing the history of this area. This ridgeline was a kauri forest.' - Barry Potter

Premium
$66m repair bill for Auckland apartments sparks court action

$66m repair bill for Auckland apartments sparks court action

02 Jul 11:28 PM
Premium
Planned for years, 25% owner sells out of Queenstown's Lakeview Taumata

Planned for years, 25% owner sells out of Queenstown's Lakeview Taumata

02 Jul 03:00 AM
Premium
Surf park developers win fast-track referral for 400+ homes

Surf park developers win fast-track referral for 400+ homes

01 Jul 09:00 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search