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UAE Rugby Association Gets Asian Associate Membership
01/01/70
UAE Rugby Association Gets Asian Associate Membership (by Allaam Ousman of the Khaleej Times)
10 December 2009 DUBAI — The Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU) has admitted UAE as an Associate Member at their Council meeting in Hong Kong during the weekend in a landmark decision which could see the face of Gulf rugby changing in the near future.
“This is the first step in our aim to have future representative teams comprising Emiratis at the Asian Games next year and Asian Five Nation tournaments,” said Salman Hadi, general secretary of the newly formed UAE Rugby Association (UAERA).
He was accompanied by the Chairman of UAERA Mohammed Abdulrahman Falaknaz and Dubai Exiles player Badr Fikree (advisor) at the meeting which was also attended by Andrew Cole, Chairman of the Arabian Gulf Rugby Football Union (AGRFU), who took over the council seat from David Skidmore.
The UAE delegates gave a presentation in which they outlined their development plans for 2009/10 which impressed the ARFU council who unanimously accepted the membership application. “Our main aim to start our own domestic league by September next year and we are working towards its,” said Hadi. The UAERA has invited the existing rugby clubs affiliated to the AGRFU such as Dubai Exiles to join their association. They also hope to target other club in the country to start playing rugby.
The UAERA which has got the blessings of the General Authority for Youth and Sports in the country aims to apply for full membership in the ARFU next December.
“We have also set up a working group comprising UAERA and AGRFU officials to work together so that there is a smooth transition,” said Hadi who added they are getting full cooperation from the AGRFU.