The UAE’s bid to safeguard their place in the second tier of Asian rugby against Singapore next week will be piloted by a player who was contemplating retirement from the sport at this time last year.
Chris Burch will lead a new-look back line from fly-half when the national team play their lone Test of the year in the Asian Five Nations Division One at The Sevens on Wednesday night.
The structure of continental rugby is set for an overhaul next year.
As such, the loser of Wednesday’s one-off fixture looks likely to be relegated to the third rung of Asian competition.
The UAE were demoted from the top rank 12 months ago.
They will be up against a Singapore side who have been promoted from division two.
The UAE national team has undergone another substantial facelift since then, with as many as 13 debutants in the squad to face Singapore and five emerging Emirati players on the roster.
As such, Burch, a 35-year-old school teacher with a handful of Tests to his name, will have a vital role marshalling an inexperienced side.
It was not a position he might have expected to be in at this time last year.
Back then, he had planned to take a year off from the game, after a season of toil in domestic rugby as player-coach of Dubai Hurricanes.
However, the subsequent Asian Five Nations campaign rekindled his love for the game. After a season playing relatively low-stakes rugby with the UAE Conference-winning Hurricanes second XV, he is delighted to have another chance at international rugby.
“This possibly is my last time, but training with all the young players we have in the side, I have felt youthful again,” Burch said.
“It has given me an energy boost. Being involved with the UAE gives you that incentive after a hard day’s work to do your best for the team and it is exciting.”
Roelof Kotze, the new UAE coach, says he is as satisfied as he can be ahead of the encounter, given the transitions being made in the game here.
“With the short time frame I have had with the team, our focus has been on our team, making our strengths so strong that whatever they bring, we will be better,” Kotze said.
“Saying that, I am expecting a fast game where they spread the ball wide and try to get around us, especially when they see we have a big pack.”
pradley@thenational.ae
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