Super Rugby: Sharks scent opportunity to play on UAE shores

South Africa's Tendai Mtawarira, who also plies his trade in Super 15 with the Sharks. Mike Hutchings / Reuters

DUBAI // UAE rugby administrators have held tentative talks over hosting a match involving Natal Coastal Sharks, the South African franchise, on these shores.

The Super Rugby side already have strong links to the country.

as a finishing school for promising young players here. The association also extended to them sending

to play alongside some of the UAE's leading Emirati players in the Dubai Sevens at the end of 2012.

Now the Sharks are eying the chance to stage an out-of-competition friendly fixture to expand their presence here, according to Ian Bremner, the UAE Rugby Federation's chief executive.

"It is a very tentative idea at the moment," Bremner said.

"Sharks want to grow their brand in this region, there is a huge South African presence and obviously a very big rugby following.

"To play a game here would be part of their overall strategy. They used to play Harlequins in February in London.

"They may be thinking, why do we have to go all the way there on a cold evening?

"If something did happen I think it would be in their pre-season next year."

If the fixture does come to pass, it would not be the first time overseas clubs have played here with a view to marketing themselves in the UAE.

London Wasps and Harlequins played a cup fixture on the lawn at Emirates Palace hotel in January 2011.

Conor O'Shea, the Quins director of rugby,

.

Collingwood, the Australian Football League club, also hope to stage an Aussie Rules fixture in Dubai in the near future.

The Emirates Airline-sponsored team played against Adelaide at the Ghantoot Polo Club five years ago in the Nab Cup, the curtain-raiser to the Australian rules season.

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