The UAE’s admirable quest for a place at the next Rugby World Cup finally reached its end at the weekend when they were soundly beaten by Namibia in Uganda.
The loss was predictable. After all, they were playing against a fully professional side coached by Jacques Burger, a great of the English Premiership with Saracens, who have played at the World Cup seven times themselves.
The fact the national team made it that far was a fine effort, their best yet in 14 years as a competitive entity.
For the tour to Uganda, the amateur players of the national team were biting into annual leave they might otherwise have wanted to use elsewhere. One player cut short his honeymoon to play. Another flew in fresh from getting engaged.
It had been the best part of a month since they had earned their place in the Africa-Asia play-off by finishing second in the Asia Rugby Championship.
Although they have fallen short of a home appearance at the final qualifier, which will be played at The Sevens, Dubai, in November, their exploits should be commended.
So, what happens next? After the massive strides that have been made in recent seasons, one area of concern when looking forward is the age profile of the side.
Many of the players who have brought the UAE to this position – their highest world ranking to date – will not be playing next year, let alone when qualification reaches its business end again in 2029.
Time needs to be invested in young players who will be better off for four years of international rugby experience.
That is easier said than done in the UAE. With no existing structure for professional rugby, retaining good young players within the country, and in a competitive system, has always been a challenge.
The improved performances of the national team have partly come about as a result of the willingness to cast the net beyond the usual confines of domestic competition.
UAE-qualified players have been considered from wherever they can be found, and their availability investigated.
Apollo Perelini and Jacques Benade, the brains trust of the coaching team, have raided their contacts books.
It has turned up quality players like Sam Bullock, Gerard Pieterse, Max Johnson and Jack Stapley; all based overseas but recalled to play for the country where they spent their formative years in rugby.
Change beyond that will have to be incremental. A move to semi-professionalising the game in the Emirates would take a massive shift, let alone having a fully professional set of players, as happens in the countries they are now actively competing against.
But they have shown over the past two years they are increasingly open-minded and nimble. A set of extremely talented Fijian players have been recruited to help develop the game among Emiratis.
They will qualify to play for the national team in due course. If they can have a similar effect to their compatriots, Sakiusa Naisau, Niko Volavola, Epeli Davetawalu and Emosi Vecanaua, it will serve the national team well.
Relying on readymade, imported talent has limits, though, and will mean the average age of the side will always be high.
There is no easy fix to reversing the talent drain. Even players who do not look abroad to further either their professional or playing careers, or for education, are not guaranteed to remain involved.
For example, Robert March, a product of British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi, is set to be lost to the system after signing professional terms to play football with Al Jazira this summer.
But if they can keep as many as possible of the following players engaged, it would swell the player pool to the point where they could challenge Hong Kong for the Asian qualifying berth in the next sequence of World Cup qualifying.
Young players to watch in UAE rugby
Scroll through the gallery below to find out more about the emerging talent on the UAE rugby scene. Click on the 'i' icon to reveal a short profile of each player.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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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
The bio
Favourite food: Japanese
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Favourite hobby: Football
Favourite quote: If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough
Favourite country: UAE
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
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
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
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Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
PROFILE
Name: Enhance Fitness
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Based: UAE
Employees: 200
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The five pillars of Islam
Crops that could be introduced to the UAE
1: Quinoa
2. Bathua
3. Amaranth
4. Pearl and finger millet
5. Sorghum
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
