Palmer signs on as Doha coach and welcomes fixture changes

Matt Jones - Editor 23:59 19/07/2016
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  • Still in charge: Aaron Palmer.

    There had been reports Palmer, Doha coach since 2009, would be on the move following a disappointing season in which they finished third in the West Asia Championship.

    There were rumours that several UAE clubs were interested in Palmer’s services, but the Kiwi has decided to stay with Doha.

    “I have agreed to coach the team again next season,” said the Whanganui native, who has also been the Qatar national team head coach for the past five years.

    Although he will still be in charge, Palmer has lost a handful of star players, including captain Jamie Clarke, Tom Nolan, Dilanka Wijisekera, Tom Booth and star full-back Aaron McLelland, while influential No8 Caine Elisara could also be on the way out.

    Doha’s pre-season begins on August 8 and Palmer has praised the structural changes made to domestic rugby in the Gulf over the past month which he believes will result in closer competition in the 2016/17 season.

    “We are happy and excited about the new format that we believe gives week in week out tough rugby for all clubs that then culminates in a real finals series,” said Palmer. “We believe it can only help the respective national sides also having tough rugby spread over the entire season.”

    Although Doha have competed with the UAE’s best teams in the cross-border Gulf Top Six and West Asia Championship competitions from January during recent years, they have been left under-challenged on the home front where they have played countless fixtures against a small circle of local opponents including Bahrain, Kuwait and Muscat. Doha have dominated the Gulf Premiership, winning three of the last four titles.

    Changes to fixtures next season, however, mean they and Bahrain will play the cream of the UAE in the new-look West Asia Premiership from September.

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