Aaron Palmer, the Doha coach, hopes his side can challenge the leading UAE clubs for the title of best in West Asia despite the limited scope of their league competition.
Last season, the Gulf Premiership included only three clubs – Doha, Bahrain and Muscat – meaning each played just four matches before the end of the year.
That represented scant preparation for matches against the four top sides from the highly competitive UAE Premiership.
Kuwait Scorpions have returned to bolster the league this season. The top two sides will qualify for the Top Six as Doha look to reclaim the mantle of West Asia’s No 1, which they last held in 2012.
“Doha is growing at a phenomenal rate and we have better players coming in because of that,” Palmer said.
“There is so much quality here now, but we don’t get the quality of games pre-Christmas. That is good and bad, as it means we do not get the injury problems which can mount up.
“We have a good core of players who have been here for two years now, and we want to be competitive come Gulf Top Six time. But we have to get into it first.”
The clubs from Oman, Qatar and Bahrain had hoped a new, Gulf-wide, league competition could be implemented this season.
However, that plan was eventually abandoned when the UAE Rugby Federation, which administers all events in the region now, opted to retain the existing competition format.
“We have taken the lead and are trying to accommodate everyone,” Qais Al Dhalai, the UAE RF secretary general, said recently.
“They don’t want to play against each other again and again and again. They want to play against our teams.
“We have our obligations and we cannot play more club rugby.”
pradley@thenational.ae
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