UAE Rugby awarded with Full Membership of the IRB

The International Rugby Board (IRB) has welcomed the United Arab Emirates Rugby Federation (UAERF) as a Full Member Union after Council approved its application during its recent meeting in Dublin, it was announced by an IRB release on Tuesday.

“Late yesterday our Board received the most wonderful and welcomed news from the IRB Council that UAE Rugby have gained Full Membership of IRB, becoming the 100th Union to do so,” said Federation Chairman Mohammed Falaknaz. “The thanks of the Board of UAERF go to everyone within our community in supporting us from our inception to this significant milestone.”

The UAERF became an Associate Member of the IRB earlier this year and has been fast-tracked through to Full Membership following significant advances, which includes assuming a leadership role in what is a strategically important region for the development of rugby.

IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset said: “We are delighted to be welcoming UAE as a Full Member of the IRB. These are very exciting times for our sport with unprecedented growth and interest around the world. Today’s announcement certainly underlines rugby’s ability to reach out to new communities and countries in every region.”

“As home to 60 per cent of the global population and 80 per cent of the world’s young people, Asia is a strategically important region for the IRB. Working in collaboration with the Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU) we are currently investing over US$3 million annually in development, high performance and tournament programmes across the region and we will ensure that UAE has the structures in place to flourish and grow on the world stage.”

The IRB acknowledged the federation's active participation in ARFU events and that they have met the IRB criteria for a Full Member. They also acknowledged that the Union is a well-structured organisation with full-time administrators. It has 1,300 adult licensed players and a further 4,600 underage players. At domestic level, UAERF runs a seven-team, annual domestic 15-a-side premiership and an eight-team conference competition.

UAE Rugby’s national 15-a-side team played in the HSBC Asian 5 Nations Top 5, finishing third in 2011 and the federation has also implemented and hosted the grass-roots XV’s international tournament, the Emirates Airline Cup of Nations.

The all-Emirati development team, UAE Shaheen participated in all legs of the HSBC Asian Rugby Sevens Series where they won the Plate Competition in the HSBC Bangkok Sevens. Since the 2012 Annual Meeting of IRB Council, the UAE Under 19 national team has participated in an ARFU Division 3 tournament and, through this tournament was promoted to Division 2 in 2013.

UAE rugby continues to fulfill their commitment to ‘Growing the Game’ through qualifying more coaches and referees as well as increasing participation of young people with an emphasis on our Emirati youth. They now employ three full time Rugby Development Officers with a specific brief to establish the game in 30 schools across all Emirates and to date they are moving quickly towards this goal with over 1800 youths playing rugby on a weekly basis.

ARFU fully supported the UAERF’s application for Full Member status. At its 2012 Annual Meeting, IRB Council agreed that the UAERF be admitted into Associate Membership. Council further agreed that subject to satisfactory progress and given its earlier decision relating to the former AGRFU that the UAERF may be considered for IRB Full Membership at the interim meeting 2012.

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