Scot speak : 'Emirati kids are better'

Dubai: Frank Hadden, former Scotland coach, believes Emirati children are physically more suited to learning the game of rugby than their counterparts from Far East Asia.

Hadden touched down in the UAE this week as part of the HSBC Penguins grass roots tour of Asia, a programme running alongside the HSBC Asian 5 Nations tournament.

The 55-year-old Scot and his travelling team conducted a coaching session for schoolchildren under the age of 12 from Mohammad Noor and Al Ahmadiya in Dubai yesterday. And he liked what he saw from the Arab and Emirati youngsters.

"These kids are quite clearly talented, athletic and enthusiastic," he said. "I think some of them can take to the game of rugby very quickly if the proper structures were put in place to allow that to happen."

He added: "They're athletic, so that's a good start. They've got good feet movement and are well balanced. The advantage that they would have over probably Far Eastern Asian kids is they are bigger. They are better built and look as if they could take to rugby very naturally."