DUBAI // Xodus Wasps aim to erase the memories of a troubled union campaign when they begin their bid for a first trophy in rugby league this weekend.
The Dubai-based club face Al Ain Amblers at Sports City on Friday in the opening fixture of the new Nissan Rugby League Cup.
The competition has been revived after a two-year hiatus, after the 13-man game landed a new injection of sponsorship.
Wasps have a sizeable contingent of players with rugby league backgrounds and are optimistic of their chances of winning the four-team competition.
Success would be gratefully received by a club who endured a horror season in the 15-a-side format.
Wasps failed to win a match in the UAE Premiership. They were also handed a heavy fine by the Rugby Federation for missing a medical briefing, and were later thrown out of the UAE Conference after forfeiting three fixtures.
Despite the challenges, though, they are still the only top-flight union club from Dubai who have been able to enter a side in the league competition.
James Agus, the Wasps coach who is a former league professional with Leeds Rhinos in the UK, said his side are capable of dethroning Abu Dhabi Harlequins, the defending champions.
“We need to get ourselves back a little bit of pride after a difficult season for the club and I truly believe we can win it,” Agus said.
“We have a number of different players who weren’t involved in the union side and we are very excited about it from a coaching point of view. We are looking very good.”
As well as coaching the Wasps men’s side, Agus has been tasked with heading up youth development within the wider sport in this country.
Despite the enthusiasm which greets each new league venture, the code has struggled to find a permanent place in the UAE sporting landscape since the first serious attempts were made to establish it six years ago.
However, the powers that be are positive about the game’s prospects, especially given the input of their new title sponsors.
“There are exciting plans in place for the future of league in the UAE,” Agus said.
All four of the clubs involved in the competition are offshoots of union clubs. The one independent league side, Mana Dubai, who reached the final two years ago, has since been dissolved.
Sol Mokdad, the president of UAE Rugby League, says the new campaign will be the best so far for the 13-man code in this country.
“This is going to be our biggest spectacle yet,” said Mokdad, who has overseen rugby league in the UAE since 2009.
“From Day 1 it has been the case that we have had so many people come and go, good people who have helped give league a push have then had to leave the country for different reasons.
“At the moment we have more than one person from each of the four clubs who are focused on this.
“We are becoming like union in that the clubs are becoming self-standing. Everyone is pulling the right direction.”
UAE Rugby League
The inaugural Rugby League Cup was won by Abu Dhabi Harlequins, when they beat Mana Dubai 62-10 in the final in Al Ain in 2013.
After a two-year break, the competition will be revived this weekend when three sides from that competition – Quins, Al Ain Amblers and Xodus Wasps – are joined by a new side, Dubai Sharks.
Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Coach: Tony Scott
One to watch: Sam Bolger
Prospects: The defending champions are a young side, but that was also the case two years ago and they were entirely peerless in winning the title back then. The former Super League players Ben and Sam Bolger will lead the capital club’s challenge.
Al Ain Amblers
Coach: Keleto Dyer
One to watch: Renato Tikoisolomone
Prospects: If they can transfer the success they enjoyed in union this season to the 13-man game, having dominated the UAE Conference, Amblers should be a force to be reckoned with. They are guaranteed home advantage on finals day, too.
Dubai Sharks
Coach: Ray Shaw
One to watch: Dan Crumplin
Prospects: The new side in the four-team competition, Dubai’s second league club have picked up a variety of recruits from the city’s existing union clubs. Some league specialists, who have otherwise had no involvement in rugby, have also joined the fold.
Xodus Wasps Dubai
Coach: James Agus
One to watch: James Chapman
Prospects: Independent observers of their pre-season training, namely the league’s officials, have been impressed by Wasps, and suggest they might be the team to beat this time around. There are plenty of established league players involved at Wasps.
pradley@thenational.ae
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