The UAE’s national rugby team will make its debut on the international stage next week, hoping to kickstart a new era for the sport in the country.
The team – playing under the newly formed UAE Rugby Association (UAERA) – will play its inaugural international match in the HSBC Asian Five Nations tournament.
Led by captain Mike Cox-Hill, the team, sponsored by Emirates Airline – the side, featuring two UAE nationals, will play against Sri Lanka in the opening round of the tournament on Saturday.
“This match is one that we have been tirelessly working towards and it is a very proud moment,” said UAERA chairman Mohammad Abdulrahman Falaknaz.
“The team faces a tough task, they now play under the flag of their country for the first time and, as a newly formed team, the pressure is heavily on them to perform,” added Falaknaz.
“Each individual has taken on this challenge and grasped it firmly. We are looking forward to a tight, mature game.”
Ahmed Khoory, Emirates’ senior vice president of commercial operations, Gulf, Middle East and Iran, said: “Emirates is committed to the growth of rugby and we are proud to be involved during this this momentous stage in the development of the UAE national team.”
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