Jacques Benade, the UAE coach, wants his side to prove their worth in the top flight of Asian rugby by beating Sri Lanka on Friday.
Victory in Colombo would likely give the national team second place in the 2025 Asia Rugby Championship (ARC).
It would be the second time in two seasons they have been runners-up since their long-cherished return to the top tier of the continental game last year.
Second place would also extend their pursuit of a berth in the 2027 Rugby World Cup. It would earn them a play-off against the second-best side in the equivalent competition in Africa, to be played later in July.
Hong Kong comfortably beat the UAE on the opening weekend of competition in Dubai, and are chasing their sixth ARC title in a row.
That would give them direct qualification to the World Cup, becoming the second Asian side at the event alongside Japan, who automatically qualified via their finishing position in the last World Cup.
While qualifying for the World Cup will still be a considerable challenge if the UAE finish second, Benade says they are focused on consolidating their status as the best side behind trailblazing Hong Kong.
“By winning two [matches, against South Korea and Malaysia] last year, we put a marker down,” Benade said.
“This is where we want to be. We want to be the second-best team in Asian rugby if we can't be the best team.
“We have to learn a lot from Hong Kong, as a union, in terms of how they manage things. Hopefully we can pick up, and finishing second again this year would give us that confidence that we are getting better, we are pushing [for] something special in three or four years.
“It would be very disappointing if we went and lost against Sri Lanka. They are an unbelievably good side. We saw them against New Zealand Under-85[kgs], and we saw how they pushed Korea all the way.”
Sri Lanka prepared for the ARC with matches against a touring side from New Zealand. They then lost narrowly at home to South Korea in their first match, before being soundly beaten by Hong Kong.
The UAE suffered a similar fate in their opener against Hong Kong, but bounced back to take a thrilling win in South Korea. That was the first time they had won in Korea, having claimed a maiden win against the same opposition on home soil in Dubai a year earlier.
“You could see when the whistle went that the players had really wanted it,” Benade said of the comeback win in Incheon last time out.
“We were very disappointed against Hong Kong. We worked so hard, but it was maybe just one week too early.
“When we hit Korea, the boys were hurt. They wanted to be better. Last week [before the Korea trip] we put five or six training sessions in. That’s how much the boys wanted it, and it shows the attitude.
“I have big respect for those boys. They are working in the morning, starting at 7 or 8 o’clock, and finishing at 5 or 6 o’clock to come and train, then going home at 10-11 o’clock. It is holiday season now.
“To then go out and believe we could beat Korea, and the rugby we played, I think is a massive credit to them. I am so proud and happy for them.”
Benade said the players are feeling “excitement and nerves” ahead of the decisive fixture at the Colombo Racecourse ground.
“We thought we would know after the second game [against South Korea] where we are,” Benade said.
“Are we going to fight not to finish fourth? Are we going to fight maybe to win? Or are we going to fight to be second?
“We and Korea and Sri Lanka are so close in terms of points difference that we need that win. For us, it opens the door to give us another opportunity [to try to qualify for the World Cup].
“It will be a massive, massive task for us. We just need to go out and win. That is all we need: we just need a win.
“We will work hard on our defence. We will maybe change a wee bit how we want to play. Scrummaging, we will have to attack them, and we may have to maul a wee bit, put them under pressure, and keep the ball away from them, because they are very good with the ball in hand.
“It is going to be a very tough game, but how good would it be to finish second and have another bite at the cherry. That is what the boys want to go for. They just want to get another opportunity by going to play in [the play-off].”
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Can NRIs vote in the election?
Indians residing overseas cannot cast their ballot abroad
Non-resident Indians or NRIs can vote only by going to a polling booth in their home constituency
There are about 3.1 million NRIs living overseas
Indians have urged political parties to extend the right to vote to citizens residing overseas
A committee of the Election Commission of India approved of proxy voting for non-resident Indians
Proxy voting means that a person can authorise someone residing in the same polling booth area to cast a vote on his behalf.
This option is currently available for the armed forces, police and government officials posted outside India
A bill was passed in the lower house of India’s parliament or the Lok Sabha to extend proxy voting to non-resident Indians
However, this did not come before the upper house or Rajya Sabha and has lapsed
The issue of NRI voting draws a huge amount of interest in India and overseas
Over the past few months, Indians have received messages on mobile phones and on social media claiming that NRIs can cast their votes online
The Election Commission of India then clarified that NRIs could not vote online
The Election Commission lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police asking it to clamp down on the people spreading misinformation
INDIA'S%20TOP%20INFLUENCERS
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Getting there
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.
The stay
Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.
Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
'Cheb%20Khaled'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EArtist%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKhaled%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELabel%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBelieve%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday
Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm kick-off UAE)
Bayer Leverkusen v Schalke (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Cologne (5.30pm)
Mainz v Arminia Bielefeld (5.30pm)
Augsburg v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Bayern Munich (8.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Freiburg (10.30pm)
Sunday
VfB Stuttgart v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Union Berlin v Hertha Berlin (8pm)
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
SCORES
Multiply Titans 81-2 in 12.1 overs
(Tony de Zorzi, 34)
bt Auckland Aces 80 all out in 16 overs
(Shawn von Borg 4-15, Alfred Mothoa 2-11, Tshepo Moreki 2-16).
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Results:
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 (PA) | Group 1 US$75,000 (Dirt) | 2,200 metres
Winner: Goshawke, Fernando Jara (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihe (trainer)
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas (TB) | Listed $250,000 (D) | 1,600m
Winner: Silva, Oisin Murphy, Pia Brendt
7.40pm: Meydan Classic Trial (TB) | Conditions $100,000 (Turf) | 1,400m
Winner: Golden Jaguar, Connor Beasley, Ahmad bin Harmash
8.15pm: Al Shindagha Sprint (TB) | Group 3 $200,000 (D) | 1,200m
Winner: Drafted, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (D) | 1,600m
Winner: Capezzano, Mickael Barzalona, Sandeep Jadhav
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,000m
Winner: Oasis Charm, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
10pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
Winner: Escalator, Christopher Hayes, Charlie Fellowes
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
