When the domestic XVs rugby season went into hibernation at the start of November to make way for sevens instead, the youngest top-flight club might have felt a little miffed.
After all, Dubai Tigers were on a roll. They had claimed the best win of their short history to date in beating city neighbours Dubai Exiles. They were top of the West Asia Premiership, and flying high with three bonus points wins from three games.
Then all that momentum was halted by the switch to the abridged format.
They headed down the road to Abu Dhabi for the first President’s Cup – a new, two-day competition designed to give sides a tune-up leading in to the highlight of the season, the Dubai Sevens – with modest expectations.
Their three leading short-format players – Saki Naisau, Emosi Vecanuau and Niko Volavola – were away on international duty with the UAE. And yet they ended up winning that trophy, too.
Still, though, you will struggle to get them to talk up their chances of going one better than last year, when they were runners-up to the Exiles at the Sevens, in the Gulf Men’s League tournament next weekend.
Peter Kelly, their director of rugby, says they have done nothing to shout about yet, while Charlie Taylor, who captained them to President’s Cup success, points out other teams were shorn of their best players, too.
“The President’s Cup is a new competition they put together as part of the lead-up to Dubai Sevens, and we were without our three UAE boys, our Fijian Flyers,” Taylor said.
“We knew it was going to be a tough few days, because we were without some keys players – but some of the other teams were as well.
“We were fortunate to win. We thought we had a small chance, but without those three stars, we weren’t counting on doing it. The boys stuck together well, and the biggest thing was our defence.
“We worked together really well and worked for each other. That is the thing about the Tigers, and it is what it came down to in the end.”
The boys stuck together well. We really worked for each other. That is the thing about the Tigers.
Charlie Taylor,
Tigers' President's Cup captain
The Tigers one-downmanship should not hide the fact they must be considered among the favourites to contest the final on Pitch 1 at 3.23pm on Saturday. Especially with Naisau, Vecanuau and Volavola back, fresh from helping UAE to a first Asian Sevens Series competition final, in Al Ain on Sunday.
The Gulf Men’s event has a new format, with the top two sides from one, seven-team pool set to advance to the showpiece match.
It represents the one opportunity domestic club players get to play on the main field at the Sevens. And yet for Taylor, at least, it is something he has experienced a number of times.
He played at the Sevens twice for Australia during a World Sevens Series career that ended at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.
After that he was away from rugby completely for four years. When he did return – by now living in Dubai and with his new club, the Tigers – he suffered a broken leg in his first game back.
Now he has the chance for another go at the Sevens. “In terms of the crowd, Dubai, Sydney and Hong Kong are the three biggest events, and you can’t really hear yourself much on the field as the crowd is going wild,” Taylor said.
The Gulf Men’s competition side are one of six that the Tigers will have playing in the various events at the Sevens.
Kelly will be granted leave from his role as the strength and conditioning coach for Chennai Braves in the Abu Dhabi T10 to turn out for the club’s vets team.
“We have our own goals and we are focusing on those, and staying humble as well,” Kelly said.
“We have a good plan of how we want to run things. My role is to look at the long-term strategic approach to development, and working out how we can keep building, both in sevens and XVs.”
PROFILE OF STARZPLAY
Date started: 2014
Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand
Number of employees: 125
Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners
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Why the Tourist Club?
Originally, The Club (which many people chose to call the “British Club”) was the only place where one could use the beach with changing rooms and a shower, and get refreshments.
In the early 1970s, the Government of Abu Dhabi wanted to give more people a place to get together on the beach, with some facilities for children. The place chosen was where the annual boat race was held, which Sheikh Zayed always attended and which brought crowds of locals and expatriates to the stretch of beach to the left of Le Méridien and the Marina.
It started with a round two-storey building, erected in about two weeks by Orient Contracting for Sheikh Zayed to use at one these races. Soon many facilities were planned and built, and members were invited to join.
Why it was called “Nadi Al Siyahi” is beyond me. But it is likely that one wanted to convey the idea that this was open to all comers. Because there was no danger of encountering alcohol on the premises, unlike at The Club, it was a place in particular for the many Arab expatriate civil servants to join. Initially the fees were very low and membership was offered free to many people, too.
Eventually there was a skating rink, bowling and many other amusements.
Frauke Heard-Bey is a historian and has lived in Abu Dhabi since 1968.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
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Cutting red tape on import and export of food
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
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UAE SQUAD
UAE team
1. Chris Jones-Griffiths 2. Gio Fourie 3. Craig Nutt 4. Daniel Perry 5. Isaac Porter 6. Matt Mills 7. Hamish Anderson 8. Jaen Botes 9. Barry Dwyer 10. Luke Stevenson (captain) 11. Sean Carey 12. Andrew Powell 13. Saki Naisau 14. Thinus Steyn 15. Matt Richards
Replacements
16. Lukas Waddington 17. Murray Reason 18. Ahmed Moosa 19. Stephen Ferguson 20. Sean Stevens 21. Ed Armitage 22. Kini Natuna 23. Majid Al Balooshi
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Best Foreign Language Film nominees
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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%3Cp%3EDisplay%3A%2040mm%2C%20324%20x%20394%3B%2044mm%2C%20368%20x%20448%3B%20Retina%20LTPO%20OLED%2C%20up%20to%201000%20nits%3B%20Ion-X%20glass%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EProcessor%3A%20Apple%20S8%2C%20W3%20wireless%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ECapacity%3A%2032GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EMemory%3A%201GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPlatform%3A%20watchOS%209%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EHealth%20metrics%3A%202nd-gen%20heart%20rate%20sensor%2C%20workouts%2C%20fall%2Fcrash%20detection%3B%20emergency%20SOS%2C%20international%20emergency%20calling%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EConnectivity%3A%20GPS%2FGPS%20%2B%20cellular%3B%20Wi-Fi%2C%20LTE%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%2C%20NFC%20(Apple%20Pay)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDurability%3A%20Water%20resistant%20up%20to%2050m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EBattery%3A%20269mAh%20Li-ion%2C%20up%20to%2018h%2C%20wireless%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ECards%3A%20eSIM%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EFinishes%3A%20Aluminium%3B%20midnight%2C%20silver%2C%20starlight%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%20Watch%20SE%2C%20magnetic-to-USB-C%20charging%20cable%2C%20band%2Floop%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPrice%3A%20Starts%20at%20Dh999%20(40mm)%20%2F%201%2C119%20(44mm)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
