DUBAI // The UAE Rugby Federation hope to be able to enforce promotion and relegation between the top two divisions from this season onwards.
Until now, sides who have topped the second-tier Conference have been given the option of staying in that division, or moving up to a higher level of competition in the Premiership.
For example, the current champions Sharjah Wanderers have chosen to remain where they are for the new campaign, which starts next month.
Wanderers, who won the last Conference final against Jebel Ali Dragons’ second XV in the final play of the season in March, are happy to consolidate the progress they have made as a club in the more forgiving climes of the second tier.
Read more UAE rugby
• Apollo Perelini says UAE targeting qualification for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan
• Sharjah Wanderers leave it late to slay Jebel Ali Dragons in UAE Conference final
Gabby Couzens, the administrative manager for the UAERF, said the federation want promotion from the Conference to be a “must” – assuming it is not won by the second team of a Premiership club.
“Every season the clubs are asking for more competitive rugby,” Couzens said.
“The level of play in the Premiership has gone up, and the level of play in the Conference is now at the level the Premiership used to be at. Everything is constantly developing.”
Promotion has had varied consequences for different clubs in recent years. Al Ain Amblers were encouraged to accept elevation after dominating the Conference, but failed to make a significant impact upon going up.
Dubai Wasps accepted promotion at an early point in their club’s existence, but subsequently struggled and are rebuilding in the Conference again.
By contrast, Abu Dhabi Saracens thrived after moving up to the top league, and were West Asia champions soon after.
The region’s flagship competition has been reformatted again for the new season. A cross-border league, involving Doha, Bahrain and the leading UAE clubs, will span the entire campaign.
The UAE’s top club will be decided on the results of matches between the sides within the West Asia Premiership.
The finals of that competition, the Conference and the Community league are scheduled to be played at the same venue, on the same day.
Apollo Perelini, the UAE coach, says he will only realistically consider players involved in the Premiership for selection for the national team.
Given that top-flight sides often have outstanding players who are new to the country, and thus not eligible for UAE selection, the representative side has often included many Conference players in the past.
“It will be very, very hard for anybody playing outside the Premiership to make the UAE team, because of the big disparity between the Conference and Premiership competitions,” Perelini said.
“For anyone who would like to represent the UAE, they have to be playing Premiership.
“The quality is a lot stronger, the standard of the teams is a lot higher, and a lot of the top players are becoming eligible.”
The fixtures for the West Asia Champions League, the season’s curtain-raising competition, are set to be announced next week.
Dubai Exiles, the UAE Premiership and West Asia double-winners, Abu Dhabi Harlequins and Kandy, the Sri Lankan champions, are the three confirmed teams playing in it.
pradley@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
ICC men's cricketer of the year
2004 - Rahul Dravid (IND) ; 2005 - Jacques Kallis (SA) and Andrew Flintoff (ENG); 2006 - Ricky Ponting (AUS); 2007 - Ricky Ponting; 2008 - Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI); 2009 - Mitchell Johnson (AUS); 2010 - Sachin Tendulkar (IND); 2011 - Jonathan Trott (ENG); 2012 - Kumar Sangakkara (SL); 2013 - Michael Clarke (AUS); 2014 - Mitchell Johnson; 2015 - Steve Smith (AUS); 2016 - Ravichandran Ashwin (IND); 2017 - Virat Kohli (IND); 2018 - Virat Kohli; 2019 - Ben Stokes (ENG); 2021 - Shaheen Afridi
Low turnout
Two months before the first round on April 10, the appetite of voters for the election is low.
Mathieu Gallard, account manager with Ipsos, which conducted the most recent poll, said current forecasts suggested only two-thirds were "very likely" to vote in the first round, compared with a 78 per cent turnout in the 2017 presidential elections.
"It depends on how interesting the campaign is on their main concerns," he told The National. "Just now, it's hard to say who, between Macron and the candidates of the right, would be most affected by a low turnout."
Mental%20health%20support%20in%20the%20UAE
%3Cp%3E%E2%97%8F%20Estijaba%20helpline%3A%208001717%3Cbr%3E%E2%97%8F%20UAE%20Ministry%20of%20Health%20and%20Prevention%20hotline%3A%20045192519%3Cbr%3E%E2%97%8F%20UAE%20Mental%20health%20support%20line%3A%20800%204673%20(Hope)%3Cbr%3EMore%20information%20at%20hope.hw.gov.ae%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA
Price, base / as tested Dh150,900 / Dh173,600
Engine 2.0L inline four-cylinder
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 211hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 1,200rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.4L / 100km
How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
EMILY%20IN%20PARIS%3A%20SEASON%203
%3Cp%3ECreated%20by%3A%20Darren%20Star%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Lily%20Collins%2C%20Philippine%20Leroy-Beaulieu%2C%20Ashley%20Park%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%202.75%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
