DUBAI // Skipping an Aviva Premiership fixture and flying to Dubai to play in a veterans charity side could be deemed a dereliction of responsibility by Kingsley Jones, the Sale Sharks director of rugby.
Given that all he would have been doing would have been watching the snow fall had he stayed at home, the former Wales flanker will deem his jaunt to the UAE as time well spent.
Sale's scheduled match against Gloucester this weekend was postponed because of the inclement weather afflicting the UK.
Meanwhile, nearly 6,000km away, Jones has been part of Wooden Spoon Vets side playing in the International Veterans competition in Dubai.
"It is the first time in six and a half years of being at Sale that I've been able to take a break during the season as I have more staff there now," he said. "The game has been cancelled anyway, so it worked out perfectly.
"It was a great opportunity. We are having a good time playing in the sun, playing hard, but the big thing is to raise awareness of the charity."
Wooden Spoon, a rugby charity who raise money for disadvantaged children, have three sides at this weekend's tournament, with Jones's vets side joined by an outfit in the International Women and one in the International Open.
Going into today's semi-final, the vets side have a 100 per cent record and are eyeing the crown of another children's charity, Christina Noble, the defending International Veterans champions.
Jones has been able to dovetail playing duties with scouting talent, not least that of his son, Rhys, who was outstanding for the Wales sevens side in the IRB competition yesterday.
Jones already has picked up one player from the sevens circuit, last season's IRB world sevens player of the Year, Mikaele Pesamino.
The Samoan winger has yet to make his debut for Sale because of a delay in his application for a work visa, and the club gave him leave to join up with his national team in Dubai.
"I'll get the chance to watch Pesamino and also some other players while I'm here and do some networking," Jones said.
The International Marauders, which is effectively South Africa's second-string sevens side, laid down a marker in the International Invitational tournament.
The Marauders, who are coached by Marius Schoeman, a former stalwart of the Boks sevens side, thrashed Enisey STM 61-0 then beat France Development 12-0 in their pool matches.
The defending champions of the Gulf Men's competition, Dubai Dragons, stuttered through to today's knock-out stages as they were beaten 26-14 by Al Ain Amblers yesterday.
pradley@thenational.ae
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
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The specs
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Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
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Sleep Well Beast
The National
4AD
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
Results
2.30pm Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m
Winner Lamia, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
3pm Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,000m
Winner Jap Al Afreet, Elione Chaves, Irfan Ellahi.
3.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m
Winner MH Tawag, Bernardo Pinheiro, Elise Jeanne.
4pm Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 2,000m
Winner Skygazer, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
4.30pm The Ruler of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh250,000 1,700m
Winner AF Kal Noor, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
5pm Sharjah Marathon (PA) Dh70,000 2,700m
Winner RB Grynade, Bernardo Pinheiro, Eric Lemartinel.
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
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Where to apply
Applicants should send their completed applications - CV, covering letter, sample(s) of your work, letter of recommendation - to Nick March, Assistant Editor in Chief at The National and UAE programme administrator for the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism, by 5pm on April 30, 2020.
Please send applications to nmarch@thenational.ae and please mark the subject line as “Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism (UAE programme application)”.
The local advisory board will consider all applications and will interview a short list of candidates in Abu Dhabi in June 2020. Successful candidates will be informed before July 30, 2020.
