Kotze must work fast to identify UAE's best rugby talent

Martyn Thomas 09:49 04/02/2014
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  • Challenges ahead: Harry Woods (r) in action for the UAE against Korea last year.

    Incoming UAE performance manager Roelof Kotze has a busy week ahead of him after finally touching down in Dubai.

    Kotze, who was appointed as the UAE Rugby Federation’s (UAERF) third national team coach in six months late last year, begins his new role with just one round of fixtures remaining before a provisional 35-man squad for April’s Asian 5 Nations Division 1 campaign is announced next week.

    It means the South African, a sevens specialist, must take in as much 15-a-side rugby as he can this weekend while also seeking advice from his new technical team, Wayne Marsters and Ben van Rooyen.

    “We have a Shaheen night on Thursday where he will go and watch between 40 and 50 Emiratiplayers and then obviously on the weekend he will be going to watch the league,” UAERF secretary general Qais Al Dhalai told Sport360°.

    The UAE are due to play a warmup game ahead of their Division 1 commitments against Uruguay on April 1 and Al Dhalai believes that gives Kotze ample time to settle into his new job.

    “We have plenty of time. There are multiple games left whether in the UAE Conference, Gulf Top Six or Gulf Conference, so there are still games to be watched and monitored," he explained. 

    Having been relegated from the Top 5 last season, the UAE face Chinese Taipei, Singapore and familiar foes Kazakhstan in the second tier this time around.

    The Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU) has yet to announce the dates and schedule of the tournament, but Al Dhalai, who sits on the body’s executive committee, revealed a decision will be made by the time they meet at the Hong Kong Sevens on March 30.

    Following demotion from the top flight last May, it had been suggested that the UAERF might instigate root and branch reform of the national XVs set-up. But according to Al Dhalai that will not be the case.

    “The UAE national team will consist of the best players from all of the 11 clubs that are playing in the Premiership and the Conference. 

    “There will be, I can say, definitely Emirati players within that squad but I cannot comment on the number because nobody knows. The technical team will be in charge of who is capable to play, whether he is expatriate or an Emirati. That is not my job.”

    Meanwhile, Yousef Shaker, who attained his IRB Level 1 coaching qualification last month, is in line to coach an all-Emirati Dubai Exiles age-group side next season as he bids to reach Level 2.

    The UAERF are keen to give the former UAE sevens captain a chance to progress his coaching career and floated the idea at the first Integration Committee meeting.

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