Coach Ben Ryan is hoisted by the Fijian team after they beat New Zealand in the cup final and won the Dubai Rugby Sevens last year. Jake Badger / The National
Coach Ben Ryan is hoisted by the Fijian team after they beat New Zealand in the cup final and won the Dubai Rugby Sevens last year. Jake Badger / The National

After securing World Series title, Fiji coach Ben Ryan has more big plans for small island



DUBAI // When Ben Ryan arrived here 12 months ago in his second season in charge of Fiji, he said, without a hint of bombast, he was the most recognisable man on the Pacific island.

As the person in charge of the fortunes of the national obsession, rugby sevens, he said being stopped for 300 photographs per day was about standard.

Then he went and led them to the world series title, just their second in history and the first since the team of the Fijian hero Waisale Serevi, and things started to get silly.

“I try to hide away from it all, but you can’t go anywhere,” the former England coach said.

"There was a song written about me which was a hit in Fiji: Iron, Lion, Ben Ryan, a Bob Marley remix.

“There are a couple of kids who have been named after me. I am due to meet them. It is remiss of me that I haven’t met them yet, but I will. The song made me laugh, but it is all a bit embarrassing really.”

Ben is the man, to quote Babu Marley’s lyrics: “He came from Ing-er-land. We never gave him the pay, but the fella he still stay.”

Read more Dubai Sevens Rugby news:

He will be staying for some while yet, too, at least until the job is done. The mission is to get Fiji onto the podium at the Olympics in Rio next summer.

Then Ryan says he plans to return to the 15-a-side game to coach, having had his appetite for the long format reinvigorated by the recent World Cup in England.

“I think I’m a better XVs coach than sevens,” he said. “The way I see it I probably have 20 years left in my coaching. I’m thinking XVs post-Olympics.”

Whatever step he takes next, he will have some memories to take with. Chief among them will no doubt be the celebrations that followed the world series win.

The title was wrapped up at Twickenham, in the final leg of the series, in Ryan’s home city of London.

More specifically, it was at the headquarters of English rugby, a neat quirk, given that his spell in charge of England had not ended on the terms he would have liked.

His personal sense of satisfaction, though, was dwarfed by the national pride that was felt back in Fiji.

“The homecoming was just unbelievable,” he said. “It was 10-hour trip from the airport to the capital, which is usually two hours.

“The villages were lying their children on the road, so we had to stop the van and get out and sign and have photos. That continued with them giving gifts. It was huge in Fiji because it has only happened once ever before.”

Podcast: Paul Radley and Jonathan Raymond discuss the upcoming 2015 edition of the Dubai Rugby Sevens

For Osea Kolinisau, the captain, the chance to follow in the footsteps of Serevi represented a life’s ambition fulfilled.

“I’ve always said it is a privilege and an honour to play with such a talented group of young boys,” Kolinisau said.

“To me, it is a highlight of my career and my life, captaining Fiji to a second series win.

“I always wanted to sign off my career with a series win. We have done that. In spite of the Olympics in the background, we are working hard to defend the series title this season.”

Former British & Irish Lions star Jason Robinson says Team GB 'have to perform better than they have ever done'

DUBAI // Jason Robinson, the former British & Irish Lions star, said Great Britain can be successful when sevens debuts at the Olympics next summer.

While the world’s leading teams fine tune their game plans ahead of Rio 2016, England, Wales and Scotland will spend the duration of the HSBC Sevens World Series playing separately, often directly against each other.

Once the series is finished, a Team GB squad will be selected and overseen by Simon Amor, the England coach, with his opposite number for Wales, Gareth Williams, as his deputy.

Robinson played for Great Britain in rugby league before converting to union and winning the World Cup with England.

He also represented the British & Irish Lions with distinction, so understands the challenges posed by bringing players from different sides together for a one-off event.

“I know how difficult it can be bringing those teams together,” said Robinson, who is in Dubai as a guest of the series sponsors, HSBC. “It will be a short space of time. That said, the fact they have the opportunity to represent Great Britain is massive.

“They might be the best players in their nation, but are they better than the others? They have to perform better than they have ever done, because their bar is not just set within their own camp anymore.

“It is going to be tough. Ideally, a team want time to get to know each other inside out. That said, I’ve been on Lions tours and it can work if you work exceptionally hard.”

pradley@thenational.ae

Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE

A cheaper choice

Vanuatu: $130,000

Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.

Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.

Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.

Benefits:  No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.

German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

Healthy tips to remember

Here, Dr Mohamed El Abiary, paediatric consultant at Al Zahra Hospital Dubai, shares some advice for parents whose children are fasting during the holy month of Ramadan:

Gradual fasting and golden points - For children under the age of 10, follow a step-by-step approach to fasting and don't push them beyond their limits. Start with a few hours fasting a day and increase it to a half fast and full fast when the child is ready. Every individual's ability varies as per the age and personal readiness. You could introduce a points system that awards the child and offers them encouragement when they make progress with the amount of hours they fast

Why fast? - Explain to your child why they are fasting. By shedding light on the importance of abstaining from food and drink, children may feel more encouraged to give it there all during the observance period. It is also a good opportunity to teach children about controlling urges, doing good for others and instilling healthy food habits

Sleep and suhoor - A child needs adequate sleep every night - at least eight hours. Make sure to set a routine early bedtime so he/she has sufficient time to wake up for suhoor, which is an essential meal at the beginning of the day

Good diet - Nutritious food is crucial to ensuring a healthy Ramadan for children. They must refrain from eating too much junk food as well as canned goods and snacks and drinks high in sugar. Foods that are rich in nutrients, vitamins and proteins, like fruits, fresh meats and vegetables, make for a good balanced diet

Sheikh Zayed's poem

When it is unveiled at Abu Dhabi Art, the Standing Tall exhibition will appear as an interplay of poetry and art. The 100 scarves are 100 fragments surrounding five, figurative, female sculptures, and both sculptures and scarves are hand-embroidered by a group of refugee women artisans, who used the Palestinian cross-stitch embroidery art of tatreez. Fragments of Sheikh Zayed’s poem Your Love is Ruling My Heart, written in Arabic as a love poem to his nation, are embroidered onto both the sculptures and the scarves. Here is the English translation.

Your love is ruling over my heart

Your love is ruling over my heart, even a mountain can’t bear all of it

Woe for my heart of such a love, if it befell it and made it its home

You came on me like a gleaming sun, you are the cure for my soul of its sickness

Be lenient on me, oh tender one, and have mercy on who because of you is in ruins

You are like the Ajeed Al-reem [leader of the gazelle herd] for my country, the source of all of its knowledge

You waddle even when you stand still, with feet white like the blooming of the dates of the palm

Oh, who wishes to deprive me of sleep, the night has ended and I still have not seen you

You are the cure for my sickness and my support, you dried my throat up let me go and damp it

Help me, oh children of mine, for in his love my life will pass me by. 

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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.
Pros%20and%20cons%20of%20BNPL
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPros%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EEasy%20to%20use%20and%20require%20less%20rigorous%20credit%20checks%20than%20traditional%20credit%20options%0D%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EOffers%20the%20ability%20to%20spread%20the%20cost%20of%20purchases%20over%20time%2C%20often%20interest-free%0D%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EConvenient%20and%20can%20be%20integrated%20directly%20into%20the%20checkout%20process%2C%20useful%20for%20online%20shopping%0D%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EHelps%20facilitate%20cash%20flow%20planning%20when%20used%20wisely%0D%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECons%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EThe%20ease%20of%20making%20purchases%20can%20lead%20to%20overspending%20and%20accumulation%20of%20debt%0D%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EMissing%20payments%20can%20result%20in%20hefty%20fees%20and%2C%20in%20some%20cases%2C%20high%20interest%20rates%20after%20an%20initial%20interest-free%20period%0D%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EFailure%20to%20make%20payments%20can%20impact%20credit%20score%20negatively%0D%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ERefunds%20can%20be%20complicated%20and%20delayed%0D%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3ECourtesy%3A%20Carol%20Glynn%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A