The UAE can embark on a season of success thanks to their new-found depth of playing staff, according to the Shaheen’s performance manager, Roelof Kotze.
The South African has targeted automatic qualification to the Asian circuit as his side’s priority this season after being handed invitations to the associate competitions in recent years.
Two tournaments in Al Ain (October 31) and India (November 29-30) will determine their Asian circuit future.
Two tournaments which Kotze believes his side can win.
“Al Ain and India are the two development tournaments we really need to win to remain on the Asian circuit next year as a full member,” Kotze told Sport360 from South Africa, where both the U20 and senior sides will embark on a training camp ahead of the new season.
“We have relied on invitations to those tournaments so far and we want to be heading on to the circuit in our own right.”
Since taking over as the UAE’s head coach in February, Kotze has made it his mission to improve the number of players playing rugby in the country as well as develop the game of the country’s already established stars.
It is a task that Kotze admits has been a struggle at times but one that he is now seeing pay off.
“We have broadened the base of our players and, out of 26 guys coming to South Africa, we have about 15 new guys who haven’t been involved before,” added Kotze.
“It’s definitely hard getting new guys involved as the gap between the player that’s been with us for two years and the one who has just started is huge. It makes training hard as it’s difficult to keep the new guys interested when they are not at the same level of the existing players.
“We’ve had a few coaches from Al Ain at sessions and what we’d do is keep some training together but then split the sessions in terms of ability and it seems to have worked.
“It can be frustrating to be a quality player playing against someone who can barely catch and vice versa. That’s why we needed more coaches and that seems to have made a big difference.”
A common occurrence since Kotze took over at the helm of the side has been his determination to improve his players’ understanding of the game, his system and the demands of top level competition.
Kotze is, as ever, hoping to make the most of his time with the players in his home country to put the final touches together before the season’s star next month.
“The plan for the 17 days that we are in South Africa is for the players is to train like the pros,” said Kotze. “We will be running gym, field sessions, drills with the ball and video sessions during the day that analyse what we have learnt.
“I will be running most of the sessions but Sharks (his former team and the academy which will host the UAE side) coaches will be helping with conditioning sessions during the camp. It is a great opportunity as it gives me more time with a captive audience of players than I usually get.
“We’ll play some local sides and academies while we’re out here but I’m not so worried about game time. It’s really an opportunity to get the guys to understand what we want to do.”
The UAE’s U20 side will get their first taste of the new season in Malaysia on 16-17 August at the ARFU’s U20 first leg before the senior side head to Hong Kong for their first Asian 7s tournament on 23-24 August.
