DUBAI // Xodus Wasps Dubai have expressed dismay at a Dh10,000 fine meted out to them by the UAE Rugby Federation for missing a medical briefing and vow to contest the charge.
The club are livid the federation opted to share news of the penalty via social media before the appeal process had started, and before many Wasps officials were even aware of the fine.
A statement from Qais Al Dhalai, the secretary general of the federation, said the punishment was handed out because no-one from the club attended a medical course in Dubai on September 13.
“Xodus Wasps RFC has been issued a Dh10,000 fine, by the UAE RF, for non-compliance with federation’s regulation for a club-nominated member to attend the UAE Rugby-hosted IRB Superweek accredited medical course – level 1,” the statement read.
“The disciplinary sanction was enforced after the club’s inability to officially respond to the federation’s correspondence to explain non-attendance, and act in fairness to other UAE-affiliated RFC’s who were in full compliance with the regulation of attending.”
However, the charge has outraged Wasps, who point out they have paid medical professionals in attendance at all their matches.
“We are dismayed by the UAE RF’s action,” said Craig Gibson, the Wasps chairman.
“Our internal investigation is on-going, but the preliminary analysis is the coach we nominated to attend this session had a genuine reason to be absent, and on the day could not arrange for a stand-in.
“Regarding UAE RF’s comment that we did not respond, this is inaccurate. We responded to state in the interests of fairness we needed to review the matter internally before giving our final response.”
The club said they plan to appeal the decision – and will take their case to the International Rugby Board if needs be.
“We are quite confident that on review, UAE RF – or higher body if required – will recognise the disproportionate and unsubstantiated fine of Dh10,000 is not valid,” the club stated.
“We will make a formal complaint to UAE RF and higher bodies regarding the management of UAERF social media and club communications.”
Wasps had been hoping to focus all their efforts on the daunting prospect of an opening day fixture against the defending UAE Premiership champions, Jebel Ali Dragons.
Instead, they have been working out how a fine so severe will impact the finances of an amateur club, in a country where the costs of playing the sport are prohibitive at the best of times.
“As a non-professional club, it is astonishing to hear the UAE RF consider a Dh10,000 fine to be reasonable,” Gibson said.
“I note that this is our first offence, and a genuinely excusable one.
“Furthermore, there has never been any intimation financial penalties have ever been possible in UAE rugby to the best of my knowledge.
“Whilst we are reviewing the UAE RF constitution as we speak, I also suspect there are no formal grounds for such a financial penalty, and certainly not one of such high value.
“Additionally, nobody knows where this money would go or how it would be spent.”
The furore is the latest episode in a summer of confrontation between the governing body and the clubs they serve.
The federation were recently angered when leading clubs failed to acquiesce to their proposal regarding subsiding Emirati players’ membership fees.
pradley@thenational.ae
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