The executive management of the Rugby Association are confident the team can justify their decision to remain in the top tier of Asian rugby by winning their inaugural game tomorrow.
When the UAE were formed after the Arabian Gulf was disbanded, the Rugby Association was given the option of assuming the place of the Arabian Gulf in the Top Five competition or starting from the bottom rung of the Asian rugby ladder in Division Five.
"We obviously choose to stay in the big league," Qais Abdulla Aldhalai, the deputy general secretary of the Rugby Association, said. "Our goal is now to remain there."
The UAE usher in the new era with a game against Sri Lanka in Colombo tomorrow.
"It is a new beginning for us and a new history," Aldhalai said. "For the first time, our players will be representing a country and I'm very confident we will do well.
"The players are carrying the flag of UAE on their chest for the first time. I'm confident they will do us proud."
Ian Bremner, the chief executive, is acutely aware of the importance of tomorrow's game, especially with games against Kazakhstan, last year's runner-up, Japan, the defending champions, and Hong Kong to come.
"We must return with something from Sri Lanka," Bremner said. "If we don't win our first game, we will be running up a slope for the remaining matches.
"Lose and we will have our backs a little bit to the wall. We are playing away to Hong Kong and while we have home advantage against Kazakhstan, we lost to them last year.
"Our best chance of staying in the Top Five next season will be to beat the new boys in the big league - Sri Lanka."
Sri Lanka, promoted after winning Division One last season, also admit that their best chance of registering a victory will be in their opening match.
"We realise the importance of this game," Ellis Meachen, their New Zealand-based coach, said. "Our aim this year is to make certain we are not relegated back into Division One next season."
Meachen, who was brought in to coach the side three months ago, says his biggest problem is the lack of match practice for the team with rugby being off-season in Sri Lanka right now.
Captained by Sean Wijesinghe, the Kandy flanker, Sri Lanka's goal will be made slightly easier by raising the curtain on the tournament at home in Colombo, and by the fact that they will host three matches this year as the final game against the Japanese has been moved from Tokyo to the Ceylonese Rugby & Football Club in Colombo because of the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
Bruce Birtwistle, the UAE coach, has benefited from being able to work with his player since January and he has needed that time to gel the squad as only five players have been retained from last year's Arabian Gulf XV which finished fourth in the competition with wins over Hong Kong and South Korea.
"We used to be able to draw players from Bahrain, Oman and Qatar in the past, but no more," Birtwistle said.
"We have also lost players who have left the region like Jonny MacDonald who has joined Scotland and played at the Hong Kong Sevens and Adelaide Sevens. His loss is huge.
"We have a reasonable forward pack but the backs are inexperienced. But if we play to our potential we will be a difficult team to handle."
For the future of the game in the country, the chief executive certainly hopes so.
"It is vital to stay in the Top Five for the sake of continuity and sustainability," Bremner said.
"We have to show our fans that the UAE can take over from the Arabian Gulf and be a team they can support."
The portents do not augur well for the UAE, who lost a warm-up game with Morocco, 13-0, in Casablanca.
"A few poor refereeing decisions went against us and it created some frustrations for the players," Birtwistle said.
"We also had five players who were playing international rugby for the first time."
* Compiled by The National staff with agencies
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Expert input
If you had all the money in the world, what’s the one sneaker you would buy or create?
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Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
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Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
WISH
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Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
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Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
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Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
