Dubai Sharks remain undecided over accepting promotion to the top flight of regional rugby, having sealed their biggest success to date on Saturday.
The Sharks claimed the UAE Division 1 title when they beat Abu Dhabi Harlequins II in the final in Al Ain.
The win means they are entitled – but not obligated – to join the West Asia Premiership next season.
Promotion would mean away flights to fixtures in Bahrain and Doha, as well as weekly encounters against the leading sides in the UAE.
Charlie Taylor, the Sharks chairman, said accepting the move up presents challenges as well as benefits. As such, the decision will be left to the club’s senior men’s squad to make, rather than imposed on them.
“Ultimately, it is down to the players,” Taylor said. “We as a club will do whatever is necessary, but we cannot force those boys to go up to the Prem and tell them that is what they have to do.
“We will have players who are desperate to go up and challenge, but we also have schoolteachers who are concerned about the extra strain on their bodies.
“We don’t pay players and never will, that is just not in our DNA, but we invest our money in coaching.
“We were not by any stretch of the imagination the biggest, most physical team in the league. But from our structure, it is very evident they are well coached.
“Stepping up to the Prem is a whole different kettle of fish. You need a bigger squad, then there is the player welfare aspect because it is a lot more physical.”
When the idea of the Sharks joining an expanded top tier was floated last year, they were given until around July 31 to make a decision, before planning started on creating a fixtures schedule for the new season. Taylor expects to have a decision before that time this summer.
While optimism abounds in the wake of their Division 1 title win, that is offset against the practicalities of going up.
As well as the added financial burden of cross-border travel, there is the physical and mental challenge of stepping into a more intense competition.
The Sharks are also set to lose a number of first-choice players, most notably from the tight-five positions in their pack.
Many of the leading clubs in the top tier have extensive recruitment networks and the means by which to attract players from overseas to join them.
Despite the size of its mini and youth section, and the quality of coaching on offer at senior level, Sharks do not have quite the same pull as some of the established Premiership clubs as yet.
Taylor recalls a time when their recruitment was little more scientific than finding the biggest guys in the place when they were out on club socials.
“Rugby is a by-product of mates getting together, playing rugby and enjoying it,” Taylor said.
“That is how the success of our club has been built since we started recruiting again and building before Covid.
“We would go up to big blokes in McGettigans and ask if they played rugby. Three of the guys we met that way five years ago were part of the side in the final on Saturday. Now they are considered part of the old guard of Sharks.
“The whole club ethos is: mates first. Then after that, let the rugby do the talking.”
Four years ago, the club’s entire membership was 47, and that included social members who were by then based overseas.
Their footprint has grown significantly in the time since. There are now over 600 members in their mini and youth set up, 104 senior men and women players, plus around 160 members in their netball section.
Next season they will be implementing an Under 18s side for the first time. In time, that could provide a flow of players to the senior side, but Taylor cautioned about expecting too much before it has fully taken root.
“Obviously there is always transition and there are lots of people coming through the door at DXB airport, but we don’t know how much of a hole [player retirements and departures] is going to leave,” Taylor said.
“We just want to enjoy this for now. We were the whipping boys for a while, and weren’t even able to raise a team some weeks a few years back. Just give us a season to build and enjoy this.”
Elevation to the Premiership could, though, help the team retain players. For example, Sam Dooley, the Sharks’ captain, had signalled his intention to retire after sealing the title at the weekend, but he admits he would reconsider if the club went up.
“Not many people get to finish their career on a high, so I thought I’ll take the chance if I can,” Dooley said.
“Premiership rugby is a big step up, and will be a big commitment for the club in terms of investment. If they are wanting to do that, I would definitely consider one final season.
“If we stayed in Division 1, some of us feel it is an opportunity to make way and let the younger generation come through.
“The jubilation and excitement of winning has made the lads feel particularly positive about it all again.
“If it was a loss, I think a few of the boys would have said, ‘Yes, we are definitely hanging up our boots.’ It is funny what a win like that does. Suddenly players feel they have another season left in them.”
If Saturday was his last game, then Dooley was happy with what transpired. The Division 1 final was part of a triumphant finals day which showed the best of what UAE rugby has to offer.
“Al Ain Amblers [who hosted 27 finals at their home venue on Saturday] is an amazing club and we love travelling down there as a team,” Dooley said.
“The rugby club have always supported us through the years as well. For finals day, they put on such a great show.
“They are amazing pitches, create such a friendly atmosphere and a great family day for everybody.
“From 8.30am starting with mini and youth, right up to 10pm, it was constant rugby, and a good reflection of where the game has come to in the UAE.
“To have so many children engaged in rugby, then to have the opportunity to watch the senior men play, hopefully some of those children will aspire to play for Dubai Sharks when they get a little older.”
T20 WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS
Qualifier A, Muscat
(All matches to be streamed live on icc.tv)
Fixtures
Friday, February 18: 10am Oman v Nepal, Canada v Philippines; 2pm Ireland v UAE, Germany v Bahrain
Saturday, February 19: 10am Oman v Canada, Nepal v Philippines; 2pm UAE v Germany, Ireland v Bahrain
Monday, February 21: 10am Ireland v Germany, UAE v Bahrain; 2pm Nepal v Canada, Oman v Philippines
Tuesday, February 22: 2pm Semi-finals
Thursday, February 24: 2pm Final
UAE squad:Ahmed Raza(captain), Muhammad Waseem, Chirag Suri, Vriitya Aravind, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Alishan Sharafu, Raja Akifullah, Karthik Meiyappan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Zafar Farid, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Rahul Bhatia
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
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South Africa squad
Faf du Plessis (captain), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen (wicketkeeper), Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada.
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8
Power: 503hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 685Nm at 2,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Price: from Dh850,000
On sale: now
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T20 World Cup Qualifier A, Muscat
Friday, February 18: 10am - Oman v Nepal, Canada v Philippines; 2pm - Ireland v UAE, Germany v Bahrain
Saturday, February 19: 10am - Oman v Canada, Nepal v Philippines; 2pm - UAE v Germany, Ireland v Bahrain
Monday, February 21: 10am - Ireland v Germany, UAE v Bahrain; 2pm - Nepal v Canada, Oman v Philippines
Tuesday, February 22: 2pm – semi-finals
Thursday, February 24: 2pm – final
UAE squad: Ahmed Raza (captain), Muhammad Waseem, Chirag Suri, Vriitya Aravind, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Alishan Sharafu, Raja Akifullah, Karthik Meiyappan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Zafar Farid, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Rahul Bhatia
All matches to be streamed live on icc.tv
CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
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It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The Disaster Artist
Director: James Franco
Starring: James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogan
Four stars
Sweet%20Tooth
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Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
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Venom
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Cast: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed
Rating: 1.5/5
Day 3 stumps
New Zealand 153 & 249
Pakistan 227 & 37-0 (target 176)
Pakistan require another 139 runs with 10 wickets remaining
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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T20 World Cup Qualifier, Muscat
UAE FIXTURES
Friday February 18: v Ireland
Saturday February 19: v Germany
Monday February 21: v Philippines
Tuesday February 22: semi-finals
Thursday February 24: final
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
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 435hp at 5,900rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,800-5,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Price: from Dh498,542
On sale: now
