Disappointingly, there is no evidence to suggest Marty McFly was much of a fan of UAE rugby back in 1985.
Had he set his DeLorean’s course for the Arabian Desert, destination October 2015, though, he would have seen a club game that was not dissimilar to the one that already existed.
At this moment in time, the form teams in the country are among the few that survive from 30 years ago.
Sharjah Wanderers, founded in 1977, are blazing a trail at the top of the UAE Conference. They had Josh Kronfeld, the former New Zealand flanker and OSN Rugby World Cup pundit, over to watch their win over Arabian Knights on Friday.
He is the latest in a list of luminaries to visit Sharjah. His fellow All Blacks, Christian Cullen and Carlos Spencer, made appearances as players at the Wanderers in recent years.
At top-flight level, Abu Dhabi Saracens might be the reigning Gulf Top Six champions, despite being younger than hoverboards, but their long established, city rivals are leading the field this term.
Abu Dhabi Harlequins, formed in 1970, are the only undefeated side in the UAE Premiership at present.
They required a last-gasp, last-play win over the country’s oldest club, Dubai Exiles (founded in 1966) to maintain that record on Friday.
Of all the grand old clubs of the UAE, the revival of the Exiles has been the most compelling story of the season so far. The fixture at Harlequins “was always going to be our big test, and I think we showed we can really compete against these boys,” Jacques Benade, the Exiles coach, said after their first loss of the season.
“We are building and building, the boys are training really hard. The club is really heading in the right direction. Mini and youth has brilliant numbers.
“As a club I am hoping we can move on, maybe to bigger and better things.”
pradley@thenational.ae
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