There is no doubt that the 2022-23 UAE rugby season has been an incredible 8 months of rugby for Dubai Exiles RFC. It has also been an incredible season for the twenty six (26) Dubai Exiles who were chosen to pull on the UAE National shirt and represent this great nation on the international rugby stage throughout 2022-23.
We’re extremely proud of these players. It’s through their hard work, dedication, commitment and sheer enthusiasm for the game that they, for the rest of their days, can call themselves “internationals“.
In no particular order:
Robbie Sproul
Dubai Exiles RFC / UAE International
In September 2021 Robbie received hi first international call up, representing the UAE in Qatar at the Asia Rugby Sevens Trophy tournament. The UAE went on to win that tournament and Robbie finished as the UAE’s top scorer with 29 points. Robbie was again selected for the UAE Sevens team for the 2022 Asia 7s Series in Thailand. He was once agin the UAE‘s top scorer with 22 points.
Robbie left the UAE for a residency at Stellenbosch Rugby Academy in January 2023 and is currently in Cape Town to play against Uganda for the SA All Stars Academy Team in an Olympic qualifier warm up tournament.
Annabelle Garner
Dubai Exiles RFC / UAE International
Annabelle joined the Dubai Exiles at the start of the 2021-22 season. She had an immediate impact on the Under 19 Girls team and helped to secure Cup Final wins at the HSBC Mini & Youth Rugby Festival as well as contributing enormously to the Exiles Under 19 Girls winning the Gulf Under 19 Girls title at the Emirates Dubai 7s.
Annabelle’s efforts did not go unnoticed as she was selected by UAE Head Coach, Apollo Perelini, to represent her adopted nation in both Under 18 and Under 20 international rugby.
Max Allen-Paver
Dubai Exiles RFC / UAE International
Max Allen-Paver, ‘AP’ to his friends has been with Dubai Exiles RFC since 2008. Max is one of a handful of players that joined the Exiles as a four year old and come all of the way through the Exiles age-grades to the international stage. Max made his Exiles‘ UAE & West Asia Premiership debut against Bahrain in September 2022 aged just 17.
It was no surprise to anyone when Max received the call from UAE Head Coach, Apollo Perelini, and mad the trip to Nepal for the Asia Rugby Under 18 Sevens Championship in December.
Tadhg Nash
Dubai Exiles RFC / UAE International
Tadhg Nash first put on a Dubai Exiles rugby kit at the age of eight when he joined the club’s Under 9s in 2013. Since that time Tadgh has been a multiple winner of the UAE‘s Mini & Youth A-Leagues, winner of the HSBC Mini & Youth Rugby Festival with the Exiles Under 19s on 2 occasions and last December won the Emirates Dubai 7s with his school.
Tadhg made his UAE & West Asia Premiership debut in the Exiles‘ Premiership Semi-Final against the Jebel Ali Dragons in March. He received his first UAE international honours in December, when he travelled with the National U18 squad to Nepal.
Femke Soens
Dubai Exiles RFC / UAE International
For anybody who follows rugby in the UAE Femke Soens needs no introduction. The extremely talented 17 year old joined the Dubai Exiles Under 12 Girls in 2013. Since then she has won everything that can be won in domestic UAE rugby. She is a multiple winner of the UAE A-Leagues, a multiple winner of the HSBC Mini & Youth Rugby Festival and has won the Emirates Dubai 7s on no less than four separate occasions, once with her school and three times with the Exiles Under 19 Girls.
Femke is no stranger to international rugby. She has represented the UAE on the international stage at many tournaments and in 2022 she was selected by her home nation of Belgium to play in the Rugby Europe Girls Under 18s Championships.
Fourie Du Preez
Dubai Exiles RFC / UAE International
Fourie Du Preez has enjoyed a magnificent 2022-23 season. The 17 year old scrum-half made he Premiership debut for the Dubai Exiles in January against the Jebel Ali Dragons. Since then he’s been a regular feature in the Exiles senior squad with games against the Abu Dhabi Harlequins, and featuring in the UAE Premiership Final against the Dubai Tigers.
Fourie was one of the nine Dubai Exiles boys who were selected for the UAE Under 20 squad that made the trip to Uzbekistan and won the Asia Rugby Under 20 Sevens Championship that took place in November 2022.
Matt Mills
Dubai Exiles RFC / UAE International & UAE Captain
Matt Mills, or Mr Mills as he’s better known at Dubai English Speaking College where he is a PE Teacher, is no stranger to international rugby. Matt has represented the UAE in both 15s and Sevens in various tournaments and competitions around the world. Matt has won everything you can in UAE and West Asia rugby, the West Asia Premiership, the UAE Premiership, and the Emirates Dubai 7s on multiple occasions with the Dubai Exiles.
UAE National Coach, Apollo Perelini, out his faith in Matt to Captain the UAE National Sevens team in Phuket at the Thailand round of the Asia Rugby Sevens Trophy in 2022. Six other Dubai Exiles made that trip and helped the UAE to win the competition with a ‘Golden Score’ win over Singapore in the final.
Lara Botha
Dubai Exiles RFC / UAE International & UAE Captain
Lara has been a member of the Dubai Exiles since joining the club as an Under 11 in 2012. Lara is another Dubai Exile who has won just about everything that there is to win in UAE domestic rugby. With the Dubai Exiles Under 19 Girls she is a multiple winner of the UAE’s A-Leagues, the HSBC Mini & Youth Rugby Festival and also a multiple winner of the Emirates Dubai 7s.
Lara has represented the UAE in both Under 18 and Under 20 and captained the UAE Under 20 Women to a 31- 0 Cup Final win against India in the final of the Asia Rugby Under 20 Sevens Championship in Uzbekistan in November 2022.
Max Wilson
Dubai Exiles RFC / UAE International
What does it feel like to score the winning try of the HSBC Mini & Youth Rugby Festival? We thought we’d use this picture of Max Wilson to show you! Max joined the Dubai Exiles as an Under 6 in 2011. His older brother Alfie, also a UAE international had joined two seasons earlier, also as an Exiles‘ Under 8. Max is a multiple winner of the UAE A-Leagues and also tournaments and rugby festivals like the HSBC Mini & Youth.
He was one of the ten Dubai Exiles who travelled to the Dashrath Stadium in Kathmandu to represent the UAE at the Asia Rugby Under 18 Sevens Championship in December 2022.
Epeli Davetawalu
Dubai Exiles RFC / UAE International
Fijian, Epeli, continues to have a huge impact for Dubai Exiles RFC. When he’s not busying himself winning the Emirates Dubai 7s or UAE Premiership titles, he’s on the pitches at The Sevens Stadium on Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings imparting his experience and knowledge to the Exiles‘ Under 19 Girls rugby group. Epeli has played rugby since the ag of 5 and captained the Fijian National Under 19 team at the IRB U19 Pacific Nations Championship in 2008.
Epeli represents the UAE in both 15s and Sevens. He has proudly pulled on the United Arab Emirates National shirt on many occasions.
Kayla Ackerman
Dubai Exiles RFC / UAE International
Kayla has enjoyed some greats seasons of Under 19 Girls rugby since she joined the Dubai Exiles. It was her performances throughout the 2022-23 rugby season brought her to the attention of the UAE coaches and staff.
In October 2022 Kayla was selected for the UAE Under 18 Girls Sevens team and then in November she was selected for the UAE Under 20 Women’s side that won the Asia Rugby Under 20s Championship in Uzbekistan.
Kahurangi Emberson
Dubai Exiles RFC / UAE International
‘Kahu’ announced himself on to the UAE senior rugby scene early in the 2021-22 season barely aged 18. Having a run out for the Exiles‘ Division 1 side against the Jebel Ali Dragons the extremely quick and fleet footed teenager scored the UAE’s try of the week.
Since then Kahu has been selected for the UAE Under 20 side that took the Asia Rugby Under 20 Championship trophy in Uzbekistan as well as pulling on the UAE shirt to play senior men’s Sevens for the UAE in Al Ain.
Gabriel Casas
Dubai Exiles RFC / UAE International
Gabriel joined Dubai Exiles RFC as a 14 year old in 2018. Since then he’s won multiple UAE A-League championships as well as winning Cup Finals at the HSBC Mini & Youth Rugby Festival – the largest Mini & Youth Rugby tournament in the Gulf region. As an Exiles Under 19, Gabriel has made numerous appearances for the Exiles‘ Division 1 side and contributed heavily to wins over the Hurricanes and the Jebel Ali Dragons in that senior competition.
Gabriel was selected for the UAE Under 20 Sevens team in November and made the trip to represent the UAE at the Asia Rugby Under 20s Championship in Uzbekistan.
Charlie Pollard
Dubai Exiles RFC / UAE International
Charlie has been a member of Dubai Exiles RFC since he joined in 2011 as a five year old. He’s one of the busiest scrum-halves in the UAE and mixes his game up between distributing the ball and sniping around the edges of rucks and mauls superbly well. Charlie is a multiple winner of UAE A-League Championships as well as wining many domestic titles including the HSBC Mini & Youth Rugby Festival on servers occasions.
Charlie was selected by UAE Head Coach, Apollo Perelini, for the UAE Under 18 team that travelled to Dashrath Stadium in Kathmandu for the Asia Rugby Under 18 Sevens Championship in December.
Justin Walsh
Dubai Exiles RFC / UAE International
Justin has been with the Dubai Exiles since he was four years old. Justin is another Exiles who has won everything that can be won in UAE domestic rugby. He’s lifted the trophies for the West Asia Premiership, the UAE Premiership and the Emirates Dubai 7s on numerous occasions while wearing the black playing shirt of Dubai Exiles RFC.
Justin was first selected ted to play international rugby for the UAE in 2015 as a 23 year old. Since then he’s represented the UAE on the international stage on many occasions including being selected for the Asia Sevens Trophy series in 2022.
Hannes Kruger
Dubai Exiles RFC / UAE International
Hannes had an immediate impact on UAE Division 1 and the UAE Premiership from the moment he set foot on the pitches at The Sevens Stadium aged just 17. His first run out in an Exiles senior shirt was in February 2021 in the 0 – 76 win over the Dubai Tigers. Still aged just 19, Hannes has won the Emirates Dubai 7s with DESC and is a three time UAE Premiership winner with Dubai Exiles RFC.
In the 2022-23 season Hannes was selected to represent the UAE in both Under 20 and Senior rugby. He made the trip to Uzbekistan for the Asia Rugby Under 20 Championships and then the trip to Thailand with the UAE Senior 7s team for the Phuket 7s and the Asia Rugby Sevens Triophy.
Alfie Wilson
Dubai Exiles RFC / UAE International
Alfie first joined Dubai Exiles RFC as a 7 year old. He made his senior rugby debut for the Exiles in April 2021 in the 78 – 5 win over, the now defunct, Knights-Eagles. Alfie has started every game of the Exiles’ UAE Premiership winning 2022-23 season and contributed five Premiership tries.
In April 2022 Alfie was selected to travel to Phuket to represent the UAE in the Phuket 7s at the Surakul Stadium in Thailand. In November ’22 he travelled to Uzbekistan and helped the UAE Under 20 team win the Asia Rugby Under 20 Championship.
Tatum Muller
Dubai Exiles RFC / UAE International
After joining Dubai Exiles RFC Tatum quickly established herself as on of the senior players in the Exiles‘ Under 19 Girls squad. She is a multiple UAE A-League winner, multiple HSBC Mini & Youth festival winner and was a valuable member of the Exiles Under 19 Girls Emirates Dubai 7s winning side.
During the 2022-23 rugby season Tatum has represented the UAE in both Under 18 and Under 20 rugby. She was part of the UAE’s Under 20 Women’s squad that won the Asia Rugby Under 20 Championship in Uzbekistan and travelled to Nepal in October for the Asia Rugby Under 18 Championship.
Marcus Kruger
Dubai Exiles RFC / UAE International
It was clear from the outset that Marcus was a real talent. In his first season of senior rugby with the Dubai Exiles, aged just seventeen, the South African teenager, brother of Hannes Kruger, scored 54 points in just 5 Premiership matches.
In the 2022-23 season Marcus was selected to represent the UAE in both Under 20 and Senior rugby. He travelled to Uzbekistan for the Asia Rugby Under 20 Championships and was again selected by UAE Head Coach, Apollo Perelini, for the trip to the Phuket 7s and the Asia Rugby Sevens Triophy.
Aydia Coetzee
Dubai Exiles RFC / UAE International
Aydia joined the Dubai Exiles Under 13 Girls rugby squad in 2015. Since then she has already won UAE A-League titles, HSBC Mini and Youth Rugby Festival Cup Finals and is a winner of the Emirates Dubai 7s Gulf Under 19 Girls competition in 2021 aged just sixteen.
In October 22 she was selected to represent the UAE at the Asia Rugby Under 18 Championship at the Dashrath Stadium in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Dylan Bevan
Dubai Exiles RFC / UAE International
Dylan joined Dubai Exiles RFC as a 14 year old in 2018. He is a multiple HSBC Mini & Youth Cup Final winner and was one of the ten Dubai Exiles that made up the DESC Gulf Under 19 Boys team that won the 2021 Emirates Dubai 7s.
Dylan is one of the seven Dubai Exiles who were selected to play and represent the UAE at the Asia Rugby Under 20 Championship in Uzbekistan last November.
Robyn Etherington
Dubai Exiles RFC / UAE International
Robyn was a major facilitator in the reintroduction of women’s rugby to Dubai Exiles RFC midway through the 2021-22 UAE rugby season. Since coming to the Dubai Exiles she and her teammates have become a force in the UAE Women’s 7s Series.
Robyn has been a mainstay of UAE international rugby for a number of seasons. While at the Exiles she has worn the national colours in Thailand at the Phuket 7s Invitational International tournament, where she scored three tries. She also represented the UAE earlier this year in Al Ain.
Tom Berger
Dubai Exiles RFC / UAE International
Tom first joined Dubai Exiles RFC as an Under 10 in 2013. He’s another Exiles’ player that’s won almost everything that can be won in UAE domestic rugby. The HSBC Mini & Youth Rugby Festival and UAE A-Leagues. Tom also won the Emirates Dubai 7s Gulf Under 19s tournament with his school, DESC (and 9 other Exiles), in 2021.
Tom made the trip to Uzbekistan and pulled on the UAE National shirt at the Asia Rugby Under 20 Championship in November.
Carel Thomas
Dubai Exiles RFC / UAE International
Carel is the Dubai Exiles‘ fleet-footed scrum half. With the Exiles he has won the West Asia Premiership, the UAE Premiership on multiple occasions and is a multiple winner of the Emirates Dubai 7s.
As soon as Carel qualified to play for his adopted home he was wearing a UAE playing shirt. His electrifying pace and unfathomable feet have made him one of the standout performers in tUAE international rugby.
Megan Theocharis
Dubai Exiles RFC / UAE International
Megan is another Dubai Exiles Under 19 Girls player who’s won everything in domestic UAE rugby. Multiple cup wins at the HSBC Mini & Youth Rugby festival, multiple wins in the UAE A-Leagues and multiple wins at the Emirates Dubai 7s.
Megan has represented the UAE at Under 18, including wining the Asia Rugby Under 18 Girls Championship in Tashkent. This season she travelled to Uzbekistan for the Asia Rugby Under 20 Championship where the UAE team took the title after a 31 – 0 win over India in the final.
Heinrich Du Plessis
Dubai Exiles RFC / UAE International
Heinrich is a member of the Exiles‘ Under 16 squad that won just about everything that can be won in UAE club rugby this season. His performances on the pitch throughout the season and in numerous Cup Finals including the Emirates Dubai 7s Youth Festival and the HSBC brought him to the attention of the UAE.
Heinrich is another member of the Dubai Exiles who made the trip to to Nepal in December for the Asia Rugby Under 18 Championship and proudly pulled on the national shirt of the UAE.
