Dubai: Christina Noble capped winning the International Invitation event for the first time by closing in on a fund-raising target of $100,000 for the children's foundation.
The guest side came back from a try down to defeat St Georges Samurai 12-5 in a tight and tense final. And while captain JP O'Reilly derived immense satisfaction from the on-field glory, he was equally pleased with the publicity boost generated by another successful trip to Dubai which included an 800-seat dinner on Thursday.
He said: "We don't pay the guys to come here, it's all about raising awareness about Christina Noble - and the best way to do that is by winning the final.
"The boys showed massive commitment and heart, and they can be very proud." O'Reilly risked some serious ear-ache after not selecting former England and Lions star Austin Healey for the final, preferring instead to call on some of his lesser names.
Emerging stars
He smiled: "I thought it better to give the young guys a chance, they've got long careers in front of them." Leicester's Leon Lloyd also travelled to Dubai for the tournament as well as South Africa great Marius Schoeman plus emerging stars such as Terry Jacobs and Lwazi Yangqa. O'Reilly said: "We've established a great relationship with (South Africa coach) Paul Treu and he's always happy to help us out, and it means a lot."
Pyrenees won the International Overseas tournament, triumphing 22-10 against Redingensians, while Warblers won the International Vets section with a 10-0 success over SpoonAAs thanks to tries from ex rugby league international Kevin Ellis and former Gulf international Rob Subbiani.
