England Rugby Stars Stranded in Dubai
Ellie Kildunne and Sadia Kabeya, both members of England’s Women’s Rugby World Cup-winning team, are currently stranded in Dubai due to ongoing conflict involving Israel, the United States, and Iran.
Kildunne, a key player for the Red Roses under coach John Mitchell, will miss Harlequins’ home Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) match against Saracens scheduled for Saturday. Similarly, Kabeya will be unavailable for Loughborough Lightning’s fixture against Sale.
A joint statement from the Rugby Football Union (RFU), Premiership Women’s Rugby, Harlequins, and Loughborough confirmed that both players are in communication with their clubs and the RFU. However, their ability to return home from their short break remains uncertain due to airspace disruptions.
“During the reserve Premiership Women’s Rugby week, Ellie Kildunne and Sadia Kabeya travelled to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for a short break. Due to ongoing airspace disruption, they have been unable to return to England as planned and will therefore not play in PWR games this weekend.
Both players have registered their presence with the UK government to receive official updates and guidance. Both Ellie and Sadia are in contact with the RFU, PWR and their clubs and will continue to be supported throughout this period. They will return to England as soon as it is possible to do so.”
Efforts to Repatriate Britons Amid Conflict
Efforts to assist British nationals trapped in the region continue, with the first government charter flight arriving in the UK early on Friday. Passengers on the Titan Airways charter flight, which flew in from Muscat, Oman, reported having to sleep in car parks in Dubai while hearing explosions at the onset of the conflict.
Etihad Airways announced on Friday the resumption of a limited commercial flight schedule until 19 March. This includes flights between Abu Dhabi and Heathrow, Manchester, and Dublin. More than 140,000 people in the region have registered their presence with the UK Foreign Office as the crisis escalates.
England Women’s Cricket Team Relocates Training Camp
In response to the Middle East conflict, the England Women’s cricket team has relocated their warm-weather training camp to South Africa. This move follows the cancellation of their planned trip to Abu Dhabi due to safety concerns and travel disruptions after recent air strikes by the US and Israel on Iran.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) decided to scrap the UAE trip amid the escalating tensions in the region.
