Sport | Rugby

Rugby League: Breaking the code

The 13-man version of the oval ball game is beginning to make inroads into the rugby union tradition of the UAE

  • By Rohan Alvares, Sports Reporter
  • Published: 00:00 April 29, 2010
  • XPRESS

  • Image Credit: Xpress /Zarina Fernandes
  • The expat Australian and New Zealand teams after their match

Dubai: Sol Mokdad, the man attempting to promote the 115-year-old sport of rugby league across the UAE believes finance is the biggest threat to his mission.

While rugby union has enthralled expatriates in the UAE for decades now, its less illustrious format is only just starting to pick up thanks largely to the rise of the Emirates National Rugby League (ENRL).

The governing body for the sport kicked off its first full season last week with a friendly match between an Aussie expatriate side against their counterparts from New Zealand. The fixture which took place at The Sevens marked Anzac Day, held each year on April 25 in honour of members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who fought at Gallipoli in Turkey during First World War. Most of the players who played on the day are more familiar with rugby union being teammates at TOA, Dubai. But Mokdad, a 25-year-old Lebanese national, insisted there is plenty of scope for rugby league to get bigger.

"Basically what I'm working on is a ‘slowly but surely' concept," said Mokdad, who enjoys playing in addition to serving as Senior Development Manager for ENRL.

He added: "Rugby union is really big here. We're not trying to take on rugby union, we're trying to work hand-in-hand like we do exactly anywhere in the world. It's been a project of mine since 2007."

It is not uncommon for rugby players to play both codes and several players who have represented the Arabian Gulf team in rugby union have played for the Falcons national team in rugby league.

"We've had internationals every year since [2007] which is awesome for us and the region. Our closest neighbour is Lebanon so we play them a lot. But we need to get more players playing rugby league in the UAE," said Mokdad.

However, attracting new players or converting rugby union loyalists is only part of the challenge.

"As anything you need to get off the ground, it's always financial. So that's basically sponsorship, as in a field to play on, place to train, to get the word out, get good kit and equipment for training, pay the coaches and the referees," Mokdad said, explaining that the Anzac event was made possible with funds generated from the players themselves.

"[ENRL] is under the Rugby League European Federation. We've got full backing from them but not financially. For us to get funding we need to have something set up in the UAE," he said.

Plans to hold a four-team competition later this year are in the pipeline at the moment. "Nothing's confirmed. But it will be good fun and it's part of the criteria for us to actually qualify for the World Cup in the coming years. So this is what we're building towards," said Mokdad.

Turning on the heat

In the UAE fixture last week, there was better fortune for the Kiwis who handed Australia a 70-24 hammering.

With rugby union dominating the winter season, players are ready to withstand the scorching summer stretch from May to October to play rugby league.

Sol Mokdad, ENRL senior development manager said: "What we're trying to do here is to work around the rugby union schedule. Our season actually starts in the summer when the rugby union season is over.

"We will have rugby union players come play with us to keep fit throughout the summer. We will have monthly fixtures throughout the rugby union season but one off games so as not to have conflict but have people who play both codes," he added.

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