During the topsy-turvy history of the UAE rugby team, there have been moments when it has been difficult to persuade players living in the country to turn out for Test matches on their own doorstep.
How times change. When rousing wins against South Korea and Malaysia in the summer sent expectations soaring, it made the idea of playing for the national team more appealing than it has ever been before. So much so that players are happy to put work on hold to travel across the world to wear the shirt.
With the goal of qualifying for the next Rugby World Cup in mind, the national team have been looking to expand their player pool beyond locally based players. They have targeted players who are eligible for selection but living abroad.
One such player completed a neat family double when he turned out for the UAE against Germany at The Sevens in Dubai on Saturday.
Jack Stapley came back from the UK, where he plays for Nottingham in the Championship, which is the second tier of English rugby.
On the sidelines, his dad, Pete, was wearing a shirt carrying the Arabian Gulf logo, which was the side that preceded the UAE as the representative team for the region, and for which he played.
“It is a big move for me,” Jack Stapley said. “It is a huge opportunity for us to qualify for the World Cup next year.
“My dad played for the Arabian Gulf back in the day, and hopefully my brother will be able to get back playing as well. My girlfriend said I should go for it, and I have a really good support network with my family, so it was an opportunity I couldn’t miss. I call this place home.”
Stapley, 28, was born in the UAE and did all of his schooling at Jumeirah College. After attending Loughborough University, he played Championship rugby for Jersey, and has since played 50 games for Nottingham.
The sport is clearly in his blood. His brother, Tom, is on the comeback trail after a knee injury stalled his own promising career. Mother Annie also previously won the Dubai Sevens as a player for the Exiles women’s side.
Having been in contact with Apollo Perelini, UAE Rugby’s performance manager, for some time, Stapley was persuaded to take up the offer to join the squad after seeing the wins over Korea and Malaysia.
“I had seen the programme and had spoken to the guys [about playing] in June,” Stapley said.
“It didn’t quite work out with my job in the UK and with Nottingham. It was probably just a bit too quick in terms of the timing.
“When I saw the boys playing fantastically in the Asia Rugby Championship [ARC] last season, beating Korea and Malaysia here at The Sevens, I thought it was definitely something I had to get involved in.”
Although the UAE suffered a 26-20 loss to the Germans, their display was a vast improvement on their loss to Zimbabwe earlier in the month.
In addition to giving up 19 places in the world rankings to their visitors, they had also been down to 14 men for three-quarters of the game.
Stapley, who has been allowed to work remotely with his job as a sales associate when his rugby commitments require it, said the side were proud of their display.
“It was a really good bounce back from Zimbabwe,” he said. “There was a real buzz in the squad for being able to put out a performance, and I think we did that. The bounce of the rugby ball here and there, the rub of the green, and maybe that is a different result.
“Being 20 places behind in the rankings, to be able to put in a performance like that and lose by a score, then come within 10 metres of getting over the line at the end, is a massive testament to the way we have grown as a squad.
“We have got the belief in the squad that we can compete with sides like Germany and hopefully next year in the Asia Rugby Championship.”
Jacques Benade, the UAE coach, said Stapley had made a positive first impression, saying, “with the experience of that level in the back line from playing at Nottingham, [he] brings something different.”
Benade hopes his side can maintain the spirit they showed in the loss to Germany throughout the long gap until they next play XVs together.
The winners of next summer’s Asian Rugby Championship will qualify directly for the next World Cup. Benade is hopeful they can arrange two more friendlies before they face Hong Kong, the defending ARC champions, in Dubai in June.
“We just have to be patient, and hopefully we can keep building, building and building,” Benade said.
“Individually we have to work so hard now, especially over the holiday period. We have a camp at the end of January where we will bring all the boys together again to try to keep the focus.
“The boys just need a bit of confidence as well. Zimbabwe shocked us a little bit, but I know we can do it. I know we can compete against those boys.
“We are still a little bit naïve at times, making the wrong calls here and there, but it was an excellent performance [against Germany].”
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
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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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
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- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
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Volvo ES90 Specs
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Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
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What are the regulations?
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Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
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Martin Amis,
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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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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
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
