Back at his office in Dubai Sports City, Asia Rugby president Qais Al-Dhalai has a shortlist of four countries: Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Japan and the United Arab Emirates. These are the countries he will put forward, if all goes according to plan, to host the Rugby World Cup in 2035.
We’ve already seen the FIFA World Cup, golf, Formula 1 and boxing land in the Middle East and rugby could be the next hot ticket in the desert. The 2028 Nations Cup final will take place in Qatar and more are planned.
At last week’s Leaders in Sport conference in Twickenham, representatives from the Saudi Public Investment Fund and the Abu Dhabi Sports Council interacted with executives from World Rugby and other governing bodies. The cogs of the sports industry were in motion.
Rugby is still in its infancy in the Middle East, but there is enough enthusiasm to make a dent in the tight market for the game. Al-Dhalai has a vision to take the best players in the world to new territories, both at club and country level.
“The Middle East is witnessing a great interest in different sports and now we are witnessing a lot of rugby,” Al-Dhalai said. “I would like to see the Rugby World Cup return to Asia in 2035, whether that is Japan, the UAE, Qatar or Saudi Arabia.
Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are contenders to host the 2035 World Cup
Asia Rugby president Qais Al-Dhalai is aiming to bring the World Cup back to the continent
Qatar hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup is seen as proof that the Gulf states can host major events
‘It would be a great event. Everyone pointed the finger at Qatar for not being able to achieve a FIFA World Cup. You could watch two matches on the same day; one at 5pm and one at 9pm. The Qataris have done a great job organizing this mega event, so why not rugby?
‘Everything will fall into place if investments are made in the sport. Players will come to the Middle East. Fijian players move into the Top 14 to play and study in France. When the investment comes to the Middle East, talented players will come. This is the formula.
‘Look how it happened in Japan: after the Rugby World Cup in 2019, players from all over the world will play in League One. The same will happen in countries like the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia as investments come to these places.”
The future of the sport could revolve around next month’s World Rugby elections. It is significant that candidate for the presidency Abdel Benazzi has translated his manifesto into Arabic; outlining his desire to break down the game’s protectionist barriers.
Al-Dhalai is running for the board and he believes the sport’s outdated voting system, dominated by traditional founders, is hampering the sport’s growth potential.
“Right now, rugby doesn’t really seem to be global,” says Al-Dhalai. ‘It is very well known among the founding unions, but the monetary investments in non-traditional markets are not sufficient. Africa and Asia are two sleeping giants. Rugby is not football or athletics. Rugby is a very niche sport, so it will take a new mentality and a revolutionary leadership style to take it to the next level.
“If we continue to do business as we have done for the past 20 years, don’t expect any change. World Rugby’s voting structure does not seem fair to many regions. FIFA’s voting system is one country, one vote; everyone sitting at the table is equal. In rugby. there are 52 votes and 33 of them come from 11 unions: SANZAAR (South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina), the Six Nations and Japan.
Al-Dhalai highlighted Japan’s investments after hosting the 2019 Rugby World Cup
Al-Dhalai, right, supports Abdel Benazzi, left, in his desire to change rugby’s voting system
World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont believes the sport will soon tap into the Middle East
Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai are established hosts on the Sevens series circuit
“Asia Rugby has 36 unions and only two votes. This is not the way forward. We need to grow beyond the traditional small club. When World Rugby starts investing we will see the difference.”
Outgoing World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont recently claimed it was only a matter of time before the sport tapped into the Middle East. Major sponsorship deals already exist with Emirates and Qatar Airlines and the Sevens series hosts some of the biggest tournaments in Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai. Last year, funds from Saudi Arabia and Qatar sent investment proposals to the Wallabies and Springboks through their banking platforms.
There are also discussions with Premier League clubs about setting up partnerships with Saudi Arabia. Ali Al Dajani, president of Rugby Saudi Arabia, was aware of the discussions, but his short-term plan is to introduce more ‘indigenous’ players at the grassroots level.
“Everyone looks at Saudi Arabia in a certain way,” Al Dajani said. There is a lot of investment in sports, and there are always a lot of rumors. Rugby in the Kingdom is going to be big. We have a partnership with the Ministry of Education to integrate rugby into the national school curriculum. We have a university club in Riyadh and 50 or 60 girls attend every week.
Newcastle are among Premier League clubs linked with Saudi investment
‘There have been many people with questions about investing in Saudi Arabia. A few clubs have talked about investing in a program to transfer people. I met Semore Kurdi from Newcastle Falcons when he came to Saudi Arabia. They came via our info email and then we made an appointment. Semore came to see the scenery and I believe he met a few other entities in Saudi Arabia, but the media blew it up into something else.
‘A lot of people come to me and say, ‘We want you to invest in our rugby club in London, or our club in Gloucester.’ We’re looking at it, but we have to see how it comes back.
“I cannot speak for every entity in Saudi Arabia; every company has its own objectives. Our budget as a federation is purely intended for the development of sports in Saudi Arabia; we are not an investment arm. Yes, Saudi Arabia has a lot to invest in, but we need to see that there is mutual benefit.”
Al Dajani hosted Sonny Bill Williams during a visit to Riyadh last year. Other big names are sure to follow as the rugby movement gains momentum in the Middle East.
England is hosted by Barcelona
England are guests at Barcelona’s Champions League match against Bayern Munich on Wednesday evening.
Steve Borthwick’s team have been based an hour outside the Spanish city and are enjoying a warm-weather training camp in Girona ahead of the autumn series.
Bayern striker and England football captain Harry Kane previously starred alongside Jonny Wilkinson in an Adidas advert.
Steve Borthwick’s England side will host Barcelona after training near Girona
Pollard targeted by Japanese big spenders
Japanese big spender Suntory Sungoliath is one of the leading candidates to sign Handre Pollard when his contract with Leicester Tigers expires at the end of the season.
Pollard, 30, has played an important role at Welford Road since joining from Montpellier in 2022, helping Tigers to the Premiership title in his first campaign.
Japanese big spenders Suntory Sungoliath are targeting Leicester’s number 10 Handre Pollard
Barrett and Savea among All Blacks’ early arrivals
The All Blacks will send an advanced side to Great Britain ahead of next week’s Test against England at Twickenham.
The Kiwis have rested their star names for Saturday’s match against Japan in Tokyo, so players like Beauden Barrett and Ardie Savea will get extra time to acclimatize in London, with some taking part in a sponsorship takeover of Covent Garden on Saturday.
England this week welcomed rugby league coaches from the Canterbury Bulldogs to their training camp in Spain.