DUBAI // The Arabian Gulf rugby season needs to be restructured again to incorporate play-offs and finals, according to the coaches of the country’s two leading clubs.
The UAE Premiership and the West Asia Championship have each been decided by a round-robin league format this season.
Dubai Exiles secured the status of the region’s No 1 side three weeks ago, and will add the Premiership title to their collection if they can avoid defeat against Al Ain Amblers Saturday.
If the manage it, it will be the second competition in which they have beaten Abu Dhabi Harlequins into second place.
Both sides have maintained commendably high standards until the end of the campaign, despite having their playing resources stretched to the limit, as evidenced by their hard-fought encounter at The Sevens last weekend.
Read more: Mission accomplished – With West Asia trophy, Dubai Exiles complete revival
Also see: Abu Dhabi Harlequins' Iziq Foa'i making great strides toward pro career in New Zealand
However, competitiveness elsewhere in the top flight has dropped alarmingly in the final throes of the season.
For example, Abu Dhabi Saracens have picked up 10 points via two bonus-point wins over the course of last weekend and this.
Yet each came via a walkover, as their opposition forfeited the fixtures. As such, Saracens players unwittingly had their season curtailed two weeks prematurely.
In the recent past, each of the domestic and the cross-border competitions were settled by a final. Under the previous system, sides who found themselves in mid-table late in the season could see a route to a trophy that has been cut off this time around.
Mike McFarlane, the coach of Abu Dhabi Harlequins, believes the previous method helped to maintain the interest of more sides for longer.
“Of course Saracens would prefer to play those matches, we all want to play as that is what we are involved in rugby for,” McFarlane said.
“The finals system, even if it is just the top two, happens all around the world, and it happened over here until this year, so I don’t know why they got rid of it.
“If it was going into the play-offs, we would be annoyed that we lost to Exiles last weekend, but we would still have a final to look forward to. I think it has had a big impact on the standards towards the end of the year.”
Jacques Benade, the Exiles coach, also thinks action needs to be taken to remedy the surfeit of forfeits.
The South African even floated the idea that imposing fines on clubs who withdraw from matches might be needed if UAE rugby is going to improve the standard of the league.
He believes a finals system needs to be reconsidered, although he did acknowledge that all his side had been thinking about this week was what they need to do to get over the winning line against Al Ain.
“I am a little worried but at the same time excited,” Benade said.
“We want to get the game started and see how we can finish off.
“What will be vital is if we can start well. Al Ain have to travel up here, have nothing to play for, and if we can start well things can go very well.
“If we don’t, and they get their tails up, it could be a very long day for us.”
pradley@thenational.ae
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UAE Premiership
Fixtures
Dubai Exiles v Al Ain Amblers
Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Dubai Hurricanes
Jebel Ali Dragons v Abu Dhabi Saracens
Table
1 Dubai Exiles 9 8 1 151 37
2 Abu Dhabi Harlequins 9 7 2 144 33
3 Abu Dhabi Saracens 9 6 3 96 30
4 Dubai Hurricanes 9 4 5 -35 21
5 Jebel Ali Dragons 9 2 7 -94 13
6 Al Ain Amblers 9 0 9 -262 4
The maths
• Dubai Exiles will win the league – and complete the Premiership and West Asia Championship double – if they avoid defeat against Al Ain Amblers
• Exiles could lose and still win the title. A four-try bonus point, as well as finishing within seven points of Al Ain, would mean they could not be caught.
• Abu Dhabi Harlequins could win the league if Exiles lose to Al Ain, and they collect a bonus-point win over Dubai Hurricanes.
• If Exiles get a single losing bonus point against Al Ain, and Abu Dhabi score four tries in beating the Hurricanes, the sides will finish level on points. They would also finish level if Exiles lose, Harlequins win, and neither side registers a bonus point.
• If the points are tied at the end, Harlequins have to advance their points differential against that of Exiles by more than seven points to win the league.
UAE Conference
Final table
1 Beaver Nomads 9 9 0 365 44
2 Jebel Ali Dragons III 9 7 2 259 35
3 Abu Dhabi Harlequins III 9 6 3 110 29
4 Al Ain Amblers III 9 6 3 101 29
5 Arabian Knights II 9 4 5 -43 22
6 Dubai Sharks II 9 4 5 -58 20
7 Dubai Sharks III 9 3 6 -91 15
8 UAE Shaheen 9 3 5 -231 14
9 Dubai Hurricanes III 9 2 7 -93 10
10 RAK Goats 9 1 8 -319 7
'HIJRAH%3A%20IN%20THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20PROPHET'
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Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Honeymoonish
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3%20Body%20Problem
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RESULTS
Time; race; prize; distance
4pm: Maiden; (D) Dh150,000; 1,200m
Winner: General Line, Xavier Ziani (jockey), Omar Daraj (trainer)
4.35pm: Maiden (T); Dh150,000; 1,600m
Winner: Travis County, Adrie de Vries, Ismail Mohammed
5.10pm: Handicap (D); Dh175,000; 1,200m
Winner: Scrutineer, Tadhg O’Shea, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
5.45pm: Maiden (D); Dh150,000; 1,600m
Winner: Yulong Warrior, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
6.20pm: Maiden (D); Dh150,000; 1,600m
Winner: Ejaaby, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson
6.55pm: Handicap (D); Dh160,000; 1,600m
Winner: Storyboard, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
7.30pm: Handicap (D); Dh150,000; 2,200m
Winner: Grand Dauphin, Gerald Mosse, Ahmed Al Shemaili
8.05pm: Handicap (T); Dh190,000; 1,800m
Winner: Good Trip, Tadhg O’Shea, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh135,000
Engine 1.6L turbo
Gearbox Six speed automatic with manual and sports mode
Power 165hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 240Nm @ 1,400rpm 0-100kph: 9.2 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh132,000 (Countryman)
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
Your Guide to the Home
- Level 1 has a valet service if you choose not to park in the basement level. This level houses all the kitchenware, including covetable brand French Bull, along with a wide array of outdoor furnishings, lamps and lighting solutions, textiles like curtains, towels, cushions and bedding, and plenty of other home accessories.
- Level 2 features curated inspiration zones and solutions for bedrooms, living rooms and dining spaces. This is also where you’d go to customise your sofas and beds, and pick and choose from more than a dozen mattress options.
- Level 3 features The Home’s “man cave” set-up and a display of industrial and rustic furnishings. This level also has a mother’s room, a play area for children with staff to watch over the kids, furniture for nurseries and children’s rooms, and the store’s design studio.
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
What is type-1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a genetic and unavoidable condition, rather than the lifestyle-related type 2 diabetes.
It occurs mostly in people under 40 and a result of the pancreas failing to produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugars.
Too much or too little blood sugar can result in an attack where sufferers lose consciousness in serious cases.
Being overweight or obese increases the chances of developing the more common type 2 diabetes.
