Asia Rugby's Western Clubs Champions League returns, although defending champions Abu Dhabi Harlequins almost pulled out

Matt Jones - Editor 18:04 23/08/2017
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  • Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Bahrain and Kandy will contest the third installment of the Western Clubs Champions League next month – although Quins chairman Andy Cole revealed the defending champions nearly pulled out as they couldn’t afford flights.

    Quins won the second version of the tournament – which has pitted various champions of Asia rugby against each other as a curtain-raiser for the new rugby season since 2015 – last summer.

    Quins qualified as runners-up to Dubai Exiles in the 2015/16 West Asia Premiership and proceeded to defeat their rivals as well as the Sri Lankan champions in the pre-season showpiece.

    It proved to be the first trophy of an unprecedented quintuple in 2016/17 for the Zayed Sports City-based outfit.

    Louie Tonkin’s Bahrain have qualified for this year’s tournament after finishing runners-up to Quins in the West Asia Cup, while Kandy will feature as champions of their own league.

    There is a twist to this year’s competition, with games being played in two countries. Two will be played in Sri Lanka, with Quins hosting Bahrain.

    But travel costs almost prevented Quins from entering, revealed Cole.

    “We had to reschedule the Champions League matches as we couldn’t afford the flights to defend our title,” said Cole of Quins, who are still without a title sponsor for the new season after a three-year deal with airline giant Etihad expired earlier this summer.

    “Etihad managed to get us good rates if we changed dates and Bahrain are playing both matches away which allows us to take part.”

    Quins and Bahrain will kick off the tournament at ZSC on September 8, with Quins then travelling to Sri Lanka for the second game a week later against Kandy on September 15.

    Kandy will also host Bahrain on the final weekend of the tournament, September 22, which is the day the 2017/18 Gulf rugby season kicks off in the UAE.

    “We are excited to get back together on the field,” Quins coach Mike McFarlane said, looking ahead to the Asia Rugby-organised tournament.

    Mike McFarlane

    Mike McFarlane

    “We will be using the games to get game time and look at players in different positions and in different combinations. It’s a great way of getting minutes under the belt and be firing for the opening game of the Premiership.

    “The players know there is fierce competition for places and the hard work over the next couple of weeks will all be in an effort to grab a starting jersey. The players know nobody has a shirt, it’s the ethos we’ve instilled, so every session is 100 per cent.”

    Bahrain’s entry is more new ground for the club and director of rugby Tonkin, who transformed the West Asia side into a new force in the Gulf in his maiden campaign.

    He will be using the tournament as a warm-up to the new campaign but admitted his team will be going out to win it, as well as get one over on Quins – who beat them 31-25 in the West Asia Cup final.

    “We were absolutely delighted when Asia Rugby contacted us and said we’d qualified as West Asia Cup runners-up,” said the Welshman.

    “It’s great news for us. It’s an opportunity for us to play some new opposition in Kandy. It is tough on us having to travel to two games but it gives our squad an opportunity to get used to travelling away.

    Louie Tonkin

    Louie Tonkin

    “We have to travel to the UAE for all our away games next season, which is tough, but prepares us. It’s also a chance to expose ourselves to expose ourselves to a good standard of rugby.

    “We’ve watched some Kandy games, they have big crowds and it’s their national sport. I went out there this summer on a veterans tour and I was hugely shocked and surprised by how big rugby is out there. So we’re really excited about going there and playing against the Sri Lankan champions.

    “It will also be great to play Quins again, because they beat us three times last season. We’ll be rotating the squad over the two games to get us ready for the West Asia Premiership, but we do want to win it, to measure ourselves early against the best team in the Gulf.”

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