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Tests of physical and mental resilience do not come much tougher than taking part in the Dubai Rugby Sevens, as Stephen Cooper can verify.
For 363 days a year, the 29-year-old is a category manager in the sports division of Nakheel's Retailcorp. But for the other two days Cooper is the captain of the Arabian Gulf, an amateur team of expats who annually line up against the leading professionals from countries such as New Zealand, his native South Africa, England and Fiji in front of sell-out crowds in the traditional opening leg of the IRB World Series which this year takes place from November 27-29.
It is one of the great social events on the Dubai calendar and a spectator's dream thanks to the action-packed on-field entertainment though it's not quite so easy to enjoy if you're a player.
Cooper said: "In two days we will play a minimum of six matches that basically last about 15 minutes each. That's one and-a-half hours of running flat out non-stop, ball in hand, tackling and being tackled. And we're on a full size pitch... there are only six other players to help you out, not 14."
The uninitiated might be forgiven for thinking that sevens could be described as rugby 'lite', a lightning fast TV-friendly powder-puff version of the sport minus the bone-shuddering collisions that give the 15-a-side game its peculiar allure. Not so.
"It's still very very physical," said Cooper. "People might be surprised at this but teams from places like Canada, Tunisia and Wales tend to be the most physical.
Often they seem to have guys from the 15s who are almost looking for contact rather than running into space, though New Zealand are always very strong, and you've got to watch them at the kick- offs and restarts in particular. "
One of the biggest hits I've ever seen came in a game against them. One of our lads received the ball at the same time as one of their players who lined him up perfectly and absolutely smashed him. It was one of those tackles where you can hear the crowd going 'oooooooo'.
Fair play, he somehow managed to stay up and got the ball away but he must have felt it afterwards for ages." Cooper and the rest of the Gulf squad make enormous sacrifices to compete at this level, working out at the gym five days a week before work and then taking part in three international and one club training sessions in every seven-day cycle.
Early nights are the order of the day for months while holidays make way for training weekends and warm-up tournaments, yet despite that level of preparation, their bodies still take a real pounding. He added: "All the teams, us included, are well-prepared these days. But there are times when you feel out for the count and your legs have gone to jelly."
With matches coming thick and fast, players must try to recover as quickly as possible for the next challenge.
"Rest is so important between games," said Cooper. "You do a cool down and some stretches, even have an ice bath which can actually be quite refreshing when you're playing in Dubai... anything to prevent the onset of muscle fatigue. After that you've got to try and get some food in, a banana or simple carbohydrate, and energy drink. It's far more technical these days. Some people weigh themselves after a game because you can lose anything up to a kilo in fluid, and you've got to get it back in."
As well as this physical challenge, players also have to cope with facing some of the biggest names in rugby in front of a huge crowd.
"There are nerves, of course there are when you're playing in front of so many more people than you normally do," said Cooper.
"But for me, it's strange... once the games kick off, I don't usually hear a thing and the only things I'm thinking about are my team-mates. "The opposition isn't really on my mind though I was a bit star-struck the first time I played against New Zealand. We were in the tunnel, waiting to go out, and I found myself standing right by Orene Ai'i, someone I had watched on TV for such a long time. And there I was, playing against him."
It's a long way from Cooper's formative years growing up in Wellington, in the Boland region. "The chances of me playing for South Africa were zero," he said.
"In fact, it was probably less than that. When I moved to Dubai in 2001, I did not even know there was a team here and that you could qualify for it."
After completing a three-year residency requirement, Cooper made his first appearance for the Gulf and set off on a road which has since led to on-field meetings with players such as Frankie Horn, a near neighbour from Wellington, and former schoolmates Jose Van Rensburg and Marius Schoeman, all representing South Africa.
"They were quite surprised to look up and see me, and we had a good talk about it afterwards," he said. "But I think most people in South Africa would be surprised to find out that rugby is even played in this region."
And if he was to find himself back in Cape Town explaining to the locals his life as the Arabian Gulf captain? "The first thing would be to make it clear that we're at nothing like the international level that they know," he said. "We're an expat team that has very high expectations of itself. We've been given a great opportunity and the last thing we want to do is disappoint."
The Sevens
When: The Emirates Airline Dubai Sevens is from November 27-29.
Where: The Sevens, the new venue off Exit 29 on the Al Ain Road, has become the focal point for rugby in the UAE thanks to the provision of six pitches, a clubhouse and offices for the Arabian Gulf Rugby Football Union. A 4000-seat grandstand has been built alongside the main pitch which, in addition to temporary facilities, will seat 40,000 spectators. Pitch two, enclosed on three sides by a grass embankment, is able to accommodate 15,000.
Tickets: From October 6, these will be available at Emirates headquarters, Emirates/Dnata building on Shaikh Zayed Rd, MMI shops in Dubai and selected Costa outlets in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Dhs170 for November 28, Dhs230 November 29, Dhs300 both days.
For details, log on to www.dubairugby7s.com
IRB Sevens World Series: Dubai is the traditional first leg of the IRB Sevens World Series, which this season is celebrating its 10th anniversary. A total of eight tournaments crisscross the planet over a period of seven months to establish the premier team in the short form of the game. Dubai will play host to the (entirely separate) Rugby World Cup Sevens from March 5-7.
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