Hassan Al Asmawi and Nasser Junaibi had never even heard of rugby until two years ago.
But now the two Emiratis have been selected for the Abu Dhabi Combined Schools Under 16 rugby union team.
It is a testament to the commitment Al Yasmina shows to sport, and one of the reasons the school has built a reputation for its athletic teams during the four years since it opened.
"They had never played or heard of the game before but in two years they made it into the Abu Dhabi Combined Schools," Matthew Morris, the team leader of the physical education department at Al Yasmina, said of Al Asmawi and Junaibi. "That's a remarkable achievement."
More than 250 Al Yasmina pupils turn out for sports activities. Morris heads a department that includes 10 staff members working full time on all sports.
Teams from Al Yasmina have taken part in the inter-school competitions from the second year of operation, and they now have a regular presence in the inter-school rugby, football, netball, basketball, hockey, badminton and swimming.
"We have kids participating in several competitions and with a fair share of success," Morris said. "The numbers are growing every year and we are rapidly improving in all sports. We want to be one of the leading schools in sports and we are achieving that.
"We have on a daily turnout of around 150 students in outdoor activities and another 100 odd in the indoor sports."
The school, which is in the Umm Al Nar area of Abu Dhabi, has an artificial turf pitch, and behind it is a smaller one that can be used for eight-a-side football. Both are equipped with flood lights.
There are also two indoor halls for basketball, volleyball and badminton, a 25-metre six-lane swimming pool and four nets for cricket, among other sports.
