The UAE Rugby Federation should be applauded for giving a platform for expatriates to play the game at international level, while still attempting to grow the game among Emiratis.
That is the view of Apollo Perelini, UAE rugby's performance manager, who believes the federation were already "ahead of the game" before this week's Presidential decree promoting expatriate involvement in representative sport.
From September, men married to Emirati women, as well as children born in the UAE and any player who resides in the Emirates will be eligible to register for sports clubs and, potentially, represent the country.
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Since taking over the administration of the game from the multi-nation Arabian Gulf Rugby Football Union at the end of 2010, the federation has made promoting the game to Emiratis a priority.
Thousands of UAE national children have been given a chance to play the game via the federation's Get Into Rugby programme, while the sport was made a mandatory part of the school curriculum in January.
World Rugby rules permit for players to represent a national team if they have been resident in the country for at least three years. As such, the national team has so far mostly been peopled by experienced players from overseas who have moved to the Emirates for work.
Perelini, who played internationally for Samoa, said the decree is a boost for the game in the UAE, but that it will not detract from their duty to promote the game within the Emirati community.
“I think the UAE Rugby Federation has been ahead of the game in that it has always pushed for expats – but it has always been a struggle,” Perelini said.
“It has been more about getting approval from the General Authority. Now they are the ones who are now pushing this, it helps us with our cause, and we can move forward without restrictions.
“We will still look to include local players. The important thing is we continue our pathways and continue to develop rugby within our local communities.”
Perelini said he hopes the ruling will improve the acceptance of the contribution expatriate players make.
“It is nice to know that we can represent UAE with a passion, knowing that expats will be deemed acceptable in sport with the government agreeing to this,” Perelini said.
“In the past it was a case of, ‘What is this going to look like to locals? Is it going to reflect badly on us?’
“Now it is going to be part and parcel of all sports. I think the federation have always been ahead of it, and have been very good at accepting expats in their national teams when other sports haven’t been. We have been ahead of the game.”
Dave Knight is a British expatriate, but represents the country of his birth when he plays for the UAE. He says the national team players themselves have enforced a rule to learn the national anthem – it was not mandatory to do when he was at school – and that they are proud to sing it.
“I feel massive pride when I play for the team,” Knight said. “It is my home. My parents were here for 43 years, and just left three weeks ago.
“Both my sisters have moved back here. It has always been our family home. For me, it is playing for my country.
“Even the boys who have been here three, four or five years, I think they are feeling a massive amount of pride representing where they are from, because they have spent so much time here.”
It’ll be summer in the city as car show tries to move with the times
If 2008 was the year that rocked Detroit, 2019 will be when Motor City gives its annual car extravaganza a revamp that aims to move with the times.
A major change is that this week's North American International Auto Show will be the last to be held in January, after which the event will switch to June.
The new date, organisers said, will allow exhibitors to move vehicles and activities outside the Cobo Center's halls and into other city venues, unencumbered by cold January weather, exemplified this week by snow and ice.
In a market in which trends can easily be outpaced beyond one event, the need to do so was probably exacerbated by the decision of Germany's big three carmakers – BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi – to skip the auto show this year.
The show has long allowed car enthusiasts to sit behind the wheel of the latest models at the start of the calendar year but a more fluid car market in an online world has made sales less seasonal.
Similarly, everyday technology seems to be catching up on those whose job it is to get behind microphones and try and tempt the visiting public into making a purchase.
Although sparkly announcers clasp iPads and outline the technical gadgetry hidden beneath bonnets, people's obsession with their own smartphones often appeared to offer a more tempting distraction.
“It's maddening,” said one such worker at Nissan's stand.
The absence of some pizzazz, as well as top marques, was also noted by patrons.
“It looks like there are a few less cars this year,” one annual attendee said of this year's exhibitors.
“I can't help but think it's easier to stay at home than to brave the snow and come here.”
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.
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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