Abu Dhabi Saracens to test themselves against West Asia’s best

Matt Jones - Editor 08:17 10/08/2015
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  • Up for the battle: Abu Dhabi Saracens (l).

    West Asia Cup champions Abu Dhabi Saracens will compete against the best teams from West Asia in the inaugural Asia Rugby Western Clubs Champions League next month.

    The tournament will feature four champions from 2015’s cross border or domestic competitions from the UAE-Gulf, Sri Lanka and Kazakhstan, the winners being crowned the champion club in West Asia.

    Sarries will come up against Sri Lanka Dialog Rugby League champions Kandy, Kazakhstan National League winners Olymp, as well as familiar foes Doha, the Qatar club qualifying as Gulf Top 6 champions.

    Doha will host Sarries in the Qatari capital, the scene of the Al Ghazal men’s 26-20 West Asia triumph, on Friday, September 11, with Kandy facing Olymp in Dubai the following day.

    Sarries welcome Kandy to Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, September 15, Doha hosting Olymp the same day.

    The final fixtures will both be held in Dubai on Friday, September 18, with Sarries taking on Olymp and Kandy playing Doha. 

    Asia Rugby president, Trevor Gregory, said the union plans to host a similar tournament in East Asia, in the hope that the winners of each will meet to contest the title of being Asia’s best team outside of the Japan Top League.

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    “Asia Rugby sees this new, annual competition as the bridge between senior domestic and international representative rugby and hopes it will give clubs the chance to compete for this prestigious new title,” he said. 

    “Asia Rugby also hopes this will provide a new opportunity for clubs to further engage new players, supporters, volunteers and sponsors.

    “Asia Rugby hope to develop the competition further to embrace more clubs and replicate it in the Eastern half of Asia, with the ultimate aim of having a play-off between the western and eastern winners to determine an overall Asia champion.”

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