Photo courtesy of Sacha Gow with permission
The UAE are taking a leading role in the Asia Rugby Football Union (ARFU) strategy to expand the game in Western Asia.
Recent discussions have focused on a new “Super Eight” competition involving clubs from all over Asia.
The new competition could see the top two teams from the UAE Premiership battle it out with Bahrain, Doha and four clubs from Sri Lanka for bragging rights in west Asia.
As part of developing an ultimate Elite club competition there would then be similar development in the East Asian region. Four clubs Hong Kong and two each from South Korea and Malaysia would play for an East Asia title.
There would be some settling in, but after the second year there would be a Grand Final, where then the winner of that game would then be given the chance to play a side from Japan’s Top League.
The concept may take a while to get going, no matter how attractive the competition may be to players and clubs alike, there will be many logistical hurdles before implementation. It is clear though that the idea has the backing of the IRB, who are keen to develop rugby in West Asia.
The UAE Rugby Federation is noted as being a role model and driving this aim. Since the decision to change the Sevens program to an all Emirati representative team, they have been busy looking for innovative ways to redesign the region’s 40 year, expatriate run rugby structure.
One of these ideas is an Afro-Asia Rugby 7s, which will form part of a busy 2014-15 calendar. The UAE sevens side take part in an Asian Sevens Qualification Tournament, an Asian Sevens Series and the Asian Games in Korea.
The Tournament will look to assist the UAE and other Nations with 7’s team preparation and representation at both 2016 and 2020 Olympics Games.
The format will see 4 teams to represent select African nations and 4 to represent select Asian nations. The UAERF will manage the nominations from Asia, which could include Lebanon, Jordan and Sri Lanka as well as the UAE. African nominations will be managed by the Confederation Africaine Rugby (CAR), which might then see Mauritius, Tunisia or Morocco coming to the UAE.
The first Tournament is expected to be held on the 12th-13th December of this year, less than 2 weeks after the famous Dubai Sevens Tournament.
With Japan doing so well in winning their 10th game in a row this week, beating teams such as Samoa, Italy and Canada, and with the RWC being held in Japan in 2019; these new initiatives are seen as a continuing effort to tap into Asia’s vast potential.
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