Abu Dhabi Harlequins stand on the verge of history – beat Jebel Ali Dragons in the UAE Premiership final at Dubai Sports City this Friday and they will complete a clean sweep of five major trophies this season.
There are very scant records kept on UAE rugby and trawling through statistics down the years would be an arduous and thankless task, but one thing is abundantly clear.
There has never been a domestic team that has won a quintuple during a campaign.
Quins have already claimed the quadruple after their 31-25 victory over Bahrain on Friday confirmed them as West Asia Cup champions. It completed a West Asia double with the Premiership earned in farcical circumstances in February.
A third straight Dubai Sevens crown was lifted in December with the Asia Rugby Western Clubs Champions League trophy kicking off an unprecedented story of success way back in September.
Whatever happens against Dragons in five days’ time, Quins have already surpassed the achievements of any UAE club, certainly in recent memory.
It’s fitting that the country’s torchbearers in terms of success stand between the Zayed Sports City-based club and history.
Dragons, who play at the Jebel Ali Centre of Excellence, have been the embodiment of excellence in recent years.
Winning back to back trebles of UAE Premiership, Gulf Top 6 and Dubai Sevens titles in 2012/13 and 2013/14 were hugely impressive feats, and served as the greatest club achievement – until now.
Quins celebrate claiming the West Asia Cup
The fact Quins stand on the precipice of such splendor is even more impressive when the growth of professionalism among the UAE’s elite clubs and standard of today’s players is brought into consideration.
The recruitment process deployed by teams, the luring of sponsors like Etihad Airways and Porsche, ties established with the likes of Saracens and Harlequins in the UK and Super Rugby’s Hurricanes, and the root and branch development of youth academies at many clubs, means the game is creeping ever closer to becoming professional.
The calibre of players featuring in the UAE and West Asia Premiership is such that the UAE national team is beginning to emerge as a force in Asia rugby, with former dual code star Apollo Perelini obtained as rugby performance manager and now able to pick his national team squads exclusively from the top league.
Former New Zealand rugby league and England union international Henry Paul came on board as Dragons’ head coach last summer, while former Emerging Springbok Jacques Benade led Dubai Exiles to the West Asia and UAE Premiership double in his first season in 2015/16.
Abu Dhabi Saracens, West Asia champions two seasons ago, finished bottom this season, caught in a quagmire as others around them embraced the need to improve or risk being left behind.
Teams are better and more talented than ever, so the fact Quins are one win away from a total monopoly on available silverware this term should serve as an indicator for how impressively they have performed.
Admittedly, the Western Clubs Champions League is a relatively meaningless competition played during pre-season between just three teams.
And it cannot be ignored that Quins’ West Asia Premiership crown is slightly tainted by the confusion caused by the lack of clarity and promotion of the 2016/17 league’s format by competition organisers.
But take nothing away from Mike McFarlane and his men. No team has ever captured four trophies in a season – and if that becomes five this Friday, it will be truly special.
