Abu Dhabi Harlequins set for four-game UK tour and chance to meet idols

Matt Jones - Editor 10:00 16/03/2015
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  • The Quins' U13s will travel to the UK later this month.

    Abu Dhabi Harlequins Under-13s are embarking on the “tour of a lifetime” to the UK at the end of the month.

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    The youngsters will round off their successful season in style with a four-game trip, taking on the likes of Saracens, Exeter Chiefs and Cornish Pirates.

    The Quins’ boys will also get the chance to watch the senior side from their UK affiliate club train on Friday, March 27, and meet their heroes, including England internationals Mike Brown, Danny Care and national team captain Chris Robshaw.

    The next day they play their first match on tour against Saracens U13s before travelling to London to watch the senior Quins take on Saracens in a mouthwatering Aviva Premiership clash at Wembley.

    “We’ve had a pretty successful year and some players are leaving at the end of the season so we wanted to end it with a bang,” said Quins’ coach Dominic Whiting.

    “The lads are pretty excited about it. They love rugby and watch a lot of English rugby on TV, so it will be the tour of a lifetime for them.

    “The highlight will definitely be meeting and training with the Harlequins senior players on Friday ahead of their game with Saracens.”

    Quins play Exeter Chiefs U-13s on March 29, Hayle U-13s on March 31 and their final match will be against Cornish Pirates U-13s on April 2. The club has previously toured Sri Lanka and Muscat, but unanimously decided on England this year.

    “We settled on England as we wanted good levels of competition, the games will be pretty tough,” said Whiting.

    “Also, a lot of the kids have never been, even the British expats only go back on holiday.

    “It’s going to be an authentic English experience. We’re going to visit the Geevor Tin Mine in Cornwall, Hampton Court Palace in London and take in a coastal walk near Lands’ End.”

    The AD Quins players will visit (from l-r) the Geevor Tin Mine in Cornwall, London's Hampton Court Palace and the coast of Lands' End.

    Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank are backing the tour, while the team would like to thank Aldar, Canterbury, Park Rotana and photographer Ian Williams who have all donated prizes.

    The team has produced a rugby-themed calendar, with photos taken in and around Abu Dhabi, including the Grand Mosque, to raise funds. In addition they have held a series of Six Nations events at The Club.

    “Everyone’s come together and chipped in. It’s a real community here in Abu Dhabi where rugby is often secondary,” said Whiting.

    “We’re quite a cosmopolitan group, with players from various backgrounds. We’ve got one kid from South Sudan, one from Jordan, kids from Lebanon, Thailand, the Phillipines and India.

    “We’ve got quite a few new players who’d never played rugby before turning up and now they’ve turned into quite good players.”

    Quins U-13s have enjoyed tremendous success this season, the highlight being winning the Cup at the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Harlequins Junior Rugby Festival in October.

    The win was especially poignant as this age group had never won a Cup in any previous tournament and had only won one Plate in five years together.

    The hosts were 12-5 and 17-12 behind to Dubai Hurricanes in the final, before two late tries sealed a dramatic 22-17 win.

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