RADFORD -- Radford University rugby standout P.J. Komongnan is in Dubai this weekend competing against the world’s elite players.

The RU sophomore recently was named to the U.S. National Sevens team that will compete in the Dubai Sevens tournament beginning Friday and also next week in a tournament in South Africa. Komongnan earned one of the 12 roster spots when final cuts were made less than a week ago following days of intense training and three Thanksgiving Day scrimmages.

“P.J. is one of the best in the United States,” RU club rugby coach Mick Turk said. “Now he’s playing against the world’s best.” Komongnan also played for the Eagle Sevens during an October tournament in Singapore.

In sevens rugby, only seven players per side play at a time. Komongnan and the Highlanders compete in matches with 15 players per side. However, having fewer players on the pitch will work to Komongnan’s advantage, Turk said.

(IN THE PHOTO: P.J. Komongnan in action. Photo by Alex Goff of erugbynews.com)

“He is so shifty and has great movement on the field,” the coach said. “Having fewer players on the field will give P.J. more room to run and enable him to use his moves and his speed.”

The Eagle Sevens begin competition Friday with a match against Wales at Dubai Exiles Rugby Ground. Playing in the tournament’s Pool C, the U.S. squad also will face Samoa and Kenya in the two-day event.

The Dubai competition is the first stop for the Eagle Sevens on the International Rugby Board’s World Sevens Series. The IRB series is part of a stepping stone to the 2009 rugby World Cup. Being a part of the U.S. World Cup team is a goal Komongnan has set for himself, Turk said.

Komongnan transferred to RU in the fall after attending Delaware State to play football. The Washington, D.C., native began playing rugby in high school and continued to practice the sport during the football offseason. It was then that he was spotted by coaches from the U.S. rugby squad. That also was the time that Komongnan began looking to transfer to RU to play the sport competitively. He was introduced to the university by his high school rugby coach and RU alumnus, Tal Bayer.

Komongnan and the RU team will resume their season early in 2008 with practices beginning in January and matches kicking off later that month or early February. Those matches will be tuneups for the team’s Mid-Atlantic Region playoff run that begins March 22 against Catholic University at the Dedmon Center pitch. The Highlanders won the state title earlier this year.

RU is poised to make a run at another national championship to match the one they won in 2003. This year’s team is built around power, speed and skill and the leadership Komongnan can provide following his experiences from playing against the world’s elite.