Rugby World Cup
Australia
Name: Nigel Brock
Nationality: Australian
Australia may be a bit of a dark horse this World Cup. Having recently beaten both New Zealand and South Africa in the Rugby Championship they have shown on their day they can match the best. Their backs have all the moves and the forward pack is improving rapidly.
Obviously New Zealand are favourites but, if you are going to beat them, your best chance is when they are away from home.
Their loss to Australia in the Rugby Championship will have made their focus laser sharp. Six Nations champions Ireland must be a chance and England with home advantage will be dangerous.
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My favourite World Cup memory is the Australian second rower John Eales making a try saving tackle on England’s flyhalf Rob Andrew with only minutes to go in the 1991 final.
You’ve got to love 6ft 7in forwards running down speedy backs as they head towards an open goal line.
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I love watching Quade Cooper, his ability to create space for his back line never ceases to amaze.
He is a player with such fantastic abilities it would be great to see it all come together for him in this World Cup. Also, keep an eye on Israel Folau. You will see some exciting moves to get him into space.
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The pools stage won’t be a formality, with England, Wales and Australia in the same pool and only two teams going through. A lot of fans are going to be disappointed early.
The improvement of non-traditional rugby nations, and the rising profile of the sport due to Olympic reintroduction, may necessitate increasing the number of pools in the future.
England
Name: Sophie Shams
Nationality: Emirati (supports England)
Considering they are in Pool A, I think England are in the worst possible pool. They are up against Fiji who have some amazing talent, as well as Wales who were ranked higher and Australia, who are always tough competition.
If England don’t win the World Cup, I think New Zealand will. They are defending champions, have a very good skill set, vision and, most importantly, are the best at recycling, protecting and keeping the ball alive.
I was happy to see Tonga beat France with 19-14 at the last World Cup. It proved the lower tier nations have an important part to play in the event - and rugby in general. It proved the underdogs could outperform even the strongest sides.
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I am looking forward to watching Jonathan Joseph, the centre for England. He is a great playmaker and overall player. I hope he has recovered from his previous injuries. I’m also looking forward to seeing Charlie Faumuina of the All Blacks as he has amazing footwork and is in the pack.
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For countries who lack the funding of the richer nations, there should be a fund which could be used to encourage them to participate, by sponsoring team development in countries such as Kenya and Papua New Guinea. This would open up rugby to more players and make more of potential that is currently untapped.
Wales
Name: Anthony Hall
Nationality: Welsh
Wales have the attacking potential to score tries from any area of the field, particularly from broken play. We have a strong attacking force in our back three and options in the centres. Wales’ defensive structures are solid as was shown in their game against Ireland. The players will also remember the successes they had in the previous World Cup. They will go into this tournament believing they can win which has not always been the case.
Over the years we have suffered from a lack of consistency during tournaments and game management has been an issue. This could severely affect our ability to reach the later stages of the tournament, particularly considering the strength of the pool we are in. I believe this is our Achilles heel and must be addressed if we are to go out and win the tournament.
New Zealand are still the No 1 team in the world. They play with an intensity and skill level that is still superior to all other teams. There is also the motivation to win back to back championships which will make them very hard to beat. The All Blacks have to be seen as the front runners and so they are my pick (if Wales don’t achieve our dream!)
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I’m looking forward to seeing two things. First, Wales topping their group. Second, a Wales vs New Zealand final. This was a game we were denied due to some poor refereeing in the last World Cup so that would be the game I would most like to see with the Welsh players lifting the cup at the end, of course.
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I wouldn’t be happy only reaching the quarter-finals, even if it was offset by knocking England out in the group. While there will always be a great rivalry between Wales and England, we are there to take the title. If we do, then we will already have had to beat England along the way. For me becoming world champions is far more important than winning one single game.
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Bharat
Director: Ali Abbas Zafar
Starring: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Grover
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
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Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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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
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Angela Bassett, Tina Fey
Directed by: Pete Doctor
Rating: 4 stars
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
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Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Company profile
Company: Rent Your Wardrobe
Date started: May 2021
Founder: Mamta Arora
Based: Dubai
Sector: Clothes rental subscription
Stage: Bootstrapped, self-funded
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Install an air filter in your home.
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Shower or bath after being outside.
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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.”
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 480hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 570Nm from 2,300-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 10.4L/100km
Price: from Dh547,600
On sale: now