DUBAI // The country’s two oldest top-flight clubs meet this evening to continue their quest to remain among the elite of domestic rugby – with perhaps the youngest average age of any UAE Premiership fixture to date.
It seems appropriate that Dubai Exiles and Abu Dhabi Harlequins will play while a huge junior rugby festival is ongoing in the capital.
Many of the first-team players from both teams only just graduated from age-grade rugby themselves.
Harlequins have routinely taken the field with a squad containing as many as six teenagers this season, while the average age of the Exiles XV has been as young as 24.
“We have been struggling to get our full strength team out on the field and it has been a challenging Premiership so far,” said Jeremy Manning, the Harlequins player coach.
“But I have been very impressed with the way the players have stepped up, and it has been very refreshing to be part of.
“I’m the oldest guy in our backline and I haven’t broken 30 yet. We go out there to have fun, because the day you don’t do that is the day you should hang up your boots.”
Jane Venter, the coach of the Exiles, hopes his side are ready to rejoin the elite after missing out on playing in the Gulf Top Six last season.
“It is difficult for the youngsters as well, as sometimes they lack the cleverness of the old hands, especially in the scrum,” Venter said.
“We need one more win to qualify for the Gulf Top Six and they are two tough games [against Quins then Dubai Hurricanes next Friday], but the guys are capable of doing it.”
pradley@thenational.ae
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