Dubai Wasps, a club only formed late last summer, carried off silverware at the first available opportunity when they won the UAE Conference Cup title with a 19-7 victory over the Dubai Hurricanes second string last Friday.
Given his glowing rugby CV, the cup ranks as a minor triumph for the club's founder and captain Trevor Leota, the former London Wasps and Samoa hooker.
He takes great satisfaction from the fact his club already have a thriving core of 15 Arab nationals.
The new UAE national team, which will take over from the Arabian Gulf in international representative rugby when they play their first Asian Five Nations fixture in April, hope to call on Emirati players for the first time.
The greatest choice of players will come from Wasps, who have the largest contingent of nationals of any side in the UAE.
"We started with no one about four months ago, then all of a sudden all the boys started turning up and it has worked out well," Leota said. "To finish up with silverware is great, especially for our local boys, who have been loving it.
"Next season we want to have two teams, as well as a minis and youth section, so we are getting bigger and bigger."
The Wasps' maiden cup triumph deprived the Hurricanes the first of what they had hoped would be four trophies as a club between now and the end of the winter campaign.
After they claimed a 57-7 win over a depleted Dubai Exiles at the Sevens on Friday, their first XV are still eyeing silverware on three fronts.
Victory meant the Hurricanes are now one point clear in the Gulf Top Six with one match left, with the title to be decided between them and second-placed Doha.
They will also play off against the Dragons in the UAE Premiership final on March 4.
"The club has pulled itself back together after two bad seasons," Steve Holohan, the Hurricanes coach, said. "Everybody wants to win something, we want to be recognised as the top side in the Gulf again."
pradley@thenational.ae
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
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The specs: 2018 Bentley Bentayga V8
Price, base: Dh853,226
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 550hp @ 6,000pm
Torque: 770Nm @ 1,960rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.4L / 100km
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
How to avoid crypto fraud
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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
More on Coronavirus in France
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
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Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
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Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
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In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
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How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
