Fiji took first honours on rugby’s road to the Rio Olympics, holding off Samoa 31-24 in a final of shifting momentum Sunday at the Gold Coast Sevens when Jasa Veremalua put the result beyond doubt in the dying seconds. That, apparently, was the easy part.
The drums were still beating and the large sections of Fijians in the crowd were still celebrating when national sevens coach Ben Ryan, an Englishman, turned his attention to fundraising for the next stop on the IRB Sevens World Series at Dubai on December 5-6.
The top four teams in the nine-tournament IRB series automatically qualify for the 2016 Olympics, elevating the stakes at the opening event on Australia’s Gold Coast.
“I said whoever won this tournament is going to be able to fly home feeling a little bit more settled and happy about trying to get top four. But In Fiji, nothing should be taken for granted,” Ryan said. “We just about got funds to run camps for this tournament. And I desperately need funds to run it for Dubai. If we can prepare like we did for this tournament, then we’re in with a shout this year.”
“Anyone out there who wants to write a check to us – I’ll look after the money appropriately,” he added, quickly. “And that isn’t a joke, by the way.”
Teams such as Fiji and Samoa operate on a fraction of the budgets of established rugby powers New Zealand and Australia – who were both knocked out in the quarter-finals – and England, and have the constant drain of talented players moving abroad to take up professional contracts.
With rugby sevens included in the Olympic programme for the first time, there’s high expectations in Fiji and Samoa that medals will finally be achievable for Pacific countries where the sport is so popular.
“Everyone in Fiji expects us to win a gold medal and don’t necessarily understand the budget (problems),” Ryan said. He lost four players from his 2013 squad to foreign clubs, and discovered Saturday that three players from his extended training squad were moving to Sri Lanka.
“It’s all hands to the deck again as soon as we come off the field to make sure we can look after these boys, give them the appropriate money,” he said. “Hopefully they’ll get paid their win bonus after this so they stay in the programme.”
The win came at the end of a long weekend for Fijians, who were celebrating the 44th anniversary of independence. For the players, there was no champagne toast planned. Ryan said they’re banned from the traditional “kava” or alcohol while in camp with the national team, and the celebrations would include some takeaway food instead.
The Fijians raced to a 26-0 lead just before half time, with Apisai Domolailai opening the scoring inside 20 seconds and Setefano Cakau scoring on either side of Semi Kunatani’s try.
But Samoa scored the next four tries – starting when Fautua Otto touched down just after the half time siren sounded – and made it 26-24 with two minutes to play when Tila Mealoi finished off a length-of-the-field attack.
An injury to Tofatuimoana Solia caused a break in play, halting Samoa’s momentum before Veremalua scored with 14 seconds remaining.
“I was a bit shell-shocked really – Samoa, that momentum shift is pretty significant in sevens. We were probably saved by that injury,” Ryan said. “Apart from that five or six minutes, we were the best side here this weekend and deservedly won the title.”
The dramatic final capped a day of upsets and surprises.
England knocked heavyweights New Zealand out in the quarter-finals with a surprising 31-7 victory, but had no answer against a rampant Fiji in the semi-finals, losing 48-7. The English rallied to win the third-place match 19-0 against South Africa, who were coming off a 28-12 loss to Samoa in the semis.
New Zealand, the defending world series champions and 2013 winners on the Gold Coast, rebounded to win the plate division with comprehensive wins over Wales and Argentina.
New Zealand have won 12 of the last 15 IRB World Series, but missed out on the semi-finals for the first time in almost two years.
Veteran coach Gordon Tietjens said competition seemed fiercer this year.
“It confirms the tough battle it’s going to be right through the series,” he said. “We’ve got to get back on the horse and look to redeem ourselves in the next two tournaments.
“My dream is to go to the Olympics. There’s big challenges, but I’m certainly up for them and I know my players are as well,” he said. The team was “hurting after losing the quarter-final, but we bounced back”.
Australia were runners-up on the Gold Coast last year, but finished tied with Wales for seventh after back-to-back losses to South Africa and Argentina.
Coach Geraint John said he wasn’t writing off the Olympic qualifying campaign after one weekend.
“You’ve got to remember, it’s only one of nine tournaments,” he said. “That’s the nature of the game in a sevens tournament. You saw Fiji last year beat New Zealand by 50-odd points in Dubai and people said, ‘Oh, New Zealand are gone’ – and then they ended up coming back and winning the world series. That’s the beauty of the game – it’s very unpredictable.”
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
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- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Directed: Smeep Kang
Produced: Soham Rockstar Entertainment; SKE Production
Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Jimmy Sheirgill, Sunny Singh, Omkar Kapoor, Rajesh Sharma
Rating: Two out of five stars
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
The specs
Engine: 1.4-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 180hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 250Nm at 3,00rpm
Transmission: 5-speed sequential auto
Price: From Dh139,995
On sale: now
The biog
Name: Sari Al Zubaidi
Occupation: co-founder of Cafe di Rosati
Age: 42
Marital status: single
Favourite drink: drip coffee V60
Favourite destination: Bali, Indonesia
Favourite book: 100 Years of Solitude
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
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- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
- Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
- It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
- Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
- Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
