The most-capped UAE player says it remains unlikely he will play for the national team again, despite his surprise return to club rugby from semi-retirement this month.
Chris Jones-Griffiths played the full 80 minutes in the front row for Abu Dhabi Harlequins in their 20-17 loss to Jebel Ali Dragons in the West Asia Premiership on Friday.
A week earlier, he had made his first appearance of the season from the bench, against Dubai Sports City Eagles, after answering a call to return due to an injury crisis engulfing Harlequins.
Jones-Griffiths had himself spent months sidelined by a slipped disc suffered on international duty for the UAE in Malaysia last May. He had only expected to return to playing at all if the club were ever struggling for front-row forwards.
That was precisely the problem facing them this weekend. The defending champions were forced to forfeit their second XV’s Conference match against Dubai Exiles because they did not have adequate front-row cover.
Jones-Griffiths left his wife and son by the pool on their weekend family staycation at a hotel in Abu Dhabi to play against the Dragons at Zayed Sports City.
"Playing that last game in Malaysia [an Asia Rugby Championship loss to Philippines], it was a bad way to go out," Jones-Griffiths, 37, said.
“You don’t want to go out on a loss. I came away from there thinking I would play this season, but unfortunately my body had other ideas.
“I said I was stepping away, which I was going to do, but there have been some bad injuries this year in our squad.
"Once my neck was better I wanted to get fit. When you see they are low on numbers, it felt like the right thing to do was to help out.”
The prop has played 25 times for the UAE, and been involved since the representative team first started playing Test rugby in 2011.
He says he could be coaxed back into the fold for the Asia Rugby Championship Division 1, at the end of the domestic season, if required, but believes there are enough other talented players available for selection.
“You never want to say never, but at this moment in time I have no aspiration to,” Jones-Griffiths said.
“If the squad did need cover, and I was still playing and my body was still in one piece, I would always answer the call, but it is not on my radar at the moment.”
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Dragons’ win ended the only remaining unbeaten record in the West Asia Premiership, and took them into the lead at the top of the table.
“We had a good, close win against Dubai Exiles a few months back, we had a good, close win against Bahrain last week, so we are in the habit of winning now,” Dragons captain Ross Samson said.
“We were inconsistent last season and at the start of this one, but we have some momentum, and it feels like we are getting the rub of the green now.”
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Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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