Undefeated in XVs rugby in nearly three years. This season’s Dubai Sevens trophy already on the mantelpiece. And now 80 minutes away from defending the UAE Premiership title they have held since the first wave of Covid.
Dubai Exiles might be excused for already feeling satisfied with themselves ahead of Saturday’s final, on home territory at The Sevens against Abu Dhabi Harlequins.
Far from it, according to coach Jacques Benade, who says that sort of thinking will be punished given the excellence of their opposition.
“Sometimes you can be a little bit complacent – but against Abu Dhabi, you can never be complacent,” Benade said.
“They are an outstanding team, and they showed [in their semi-final playoff against Dubai] Tigers how good they can be.
“It is going to be an outstanding game. I think both teams want to throw the ball around, so for the UAE rugby community to come out and watch, I think it is going to be a magic occasion.”
The last time Exiles experienced defeat to a UAE side was against Harlequins in February 2019. They subsequently lost out on the main prize at the end of that season after a nail-biting finale in Bahrain.
The following season, they won the Premiership, but had to celebrate remotely after the season was curtailed by the onset of the pandemic.
Benade said their sustained run of success has been so impressive, they have resembled the Harlequins side who led the way in regional rugby midway through the last decade.
“We look like Harlequins five or six years ago,” Benade said. “They had a steady team that was hard to get in, and the boys who did come in lifted the team as well.
“For the past two years, we have been like Harlequins were. You dip again then you have to build again, but we are very happy with where we are at the moment.
“We have a nice squad, we always work as a first and second XV team together, and there is competition between the boys as well. All that helps when the boys play together on a Saturday.”
The side from the capital lost twice to Exiles in the regular league season, and also went down in their final game before the playoffs against the rapidly improving Tigers.
They bounced back to beat the same opposition in convincing fashion in the playoff a week later, but Niall Lear, the Harlequins coach, says they still remain second favourites ahead of the final.
“They’re unbeaten, they’re the form team, and they’re expected to win - that suits us,” Lear said of the challenge ahead against the Exiles.
The fact Harlequins have made the final is a notable achievement itself. While Exiles were playing in – and winning – a tournament using rules modified because of Covid restrictions in Dubai last season, Abu Dhabi’s clubs went entirely without rugby for a whole campaign.
“At the start of the year, we set ourselves some pretty lofty goals,” Lear said.
“Winning the final was one of them. It is great we are in this position, and absolutely we will be proud of the boys regardless of the outcome.
“Theoretically, we should be about a year behind in terms of rugby development. We have shown that is not the case.
“We will be massively proud of the group, regardless of what happens. But our goal is to win. We are in a really good position in that we have a squad of about 35 we could be picking from who are good enough to play in the first XV.
“That is great, for us to have that many players coming back every week enjoying themselves. That is a win for us as well.”
How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
About Proto21
Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
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
All or Nothing
Amazon Prime
Four stars
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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
Voices: How A Great Singer Can Change Your Life
Nick Coleman
Jonathan Cape
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
ABU%20DHABI'S%20KEY%20TOURISM%20GOALS%3A%20BY%20THE%20NUMBERS
%3Cp%3EBy%202030%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi%20aims%20to%20achieve%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%2039.3%20million%20visitors%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20nearly%2064%25%20up%20from%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%20Dh90%20billion%20contribution%20to%20GDP%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20about%2084%25%20more%20than%20Dh49%20billion%20in%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%20178%2C000%20new%20jobs%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20bringing%20the%20total%20to%20about%20366%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%2052%2C000%20hotel%20rooms%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20up%2053%25%20from%2034%2C000%20in%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%207.2%20million%20international%20visitors%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20almost%2090%25%20higher%20compared%20to%202023's%203.8%20million%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%203.9%20international%20overnight%20hotel%20stays%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2022%25%20more%20from%203.2%20nights%20in%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Wednesday and the pair embraced but he failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset was due to a personal matter.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
ARGENTINA SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Franco Armani, Agustin Marchesin, Esteban Andrada
Defenders: Juan Foyth, Nicolas Otamendi, German Pezzella, Nicolas Tagliafico, Ramiro Funes Mori, Renzo Saravia, Marcos Acuna, Milton Casco
Midfielders: Leandro Paredes, Guido Rodriguez, Giovani Lo Celso, Exequiel Palacios, Roberto Pereyra, Rodrigo De Paul, Angel Di Maria
Forwards: Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Lautaro Martinez, Paulo Dybala, Matias Suarez
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
