Dylan Hartley the DoR, Dan Carter the waterboy, and other coups of UAE rugby

Former England captain's arrival as poster boy for Dubai Sharks is the latest revelation in a region than is no stranger to shock appointments

Dylan Hartley has been viewing houses in Dubai this week ahead of him dovetailing being director of rugby of Division 1 team the Sharks with a job in business development with Access Hire Middle East. Getty Images

Wales and British & Irish Lions star Mike Phillips arrived in Dubai as the head coach of Jebel Ali Dragons in 2018. Obviously. Satish Kumar for The National

Jebel Ali Dragons players were probably not as star struck by the arrival of Mike Phillips as they might have been had they not already had a star coach. Former dual code international Henry Paul was his predecessor. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National

Dan Carter (front row left) is arguably rugby’s greatest player in the professional era. Which made it all the more weird to see him ferrying drinks as the waterboy for Abu Dhabi-based charity side Stefan’s Heart Foundation at the 2006 Dubai Rugby Sevens.

Trevor Leota played at the World Cup with Samoa, and won the Heineken Cup with Wasps. Then he turned up in the UAE and played for Toa and then Dubai Wasps. Sarah Dea / The National

Apollo Perelini played internationally in both union and league. He has had a long-term impact on the game in the UAE through his eponymously named skills academy and as coach of the national team. Antonie Robertson / The National

Steve Thompson won the World Cup with England in 2003. In retirement he moved to Dubai, then Ras Al Khaimah. His involvement in rugby was informal, but he played for Gulf Legends in the Sevens and helped out the UAE team on an impromptu basis, too. Pawan Singh / The National

Carlos Spencer played at the 2013 Sharjah 10s for a charity side. Which was about standard, really, seeing as fellow All Blacks great Christian Cullen had also played at the Wanderers three years previously.

Seeing world stars turning out on the outside fields at the Dubai Sevens is no rarity. But World Cup-winner Josh Lewsey did have a local affiliation when he played alongside his brother Ed for Abu Dhabi-based charity side the Mike Ballard Foundation Conquistadors in 2016. Victor Besa / The National

Dylan Hartley was announced as the new director of rugby at Dubai Sharks this week.

It is a staggering coup for the recreational game in the region. A 97-cap international, who was appointed England captain by Eddie Jones, then led them on a record winning run and a Grand Slam.

Who in retirement has established himself as one of the foremost voices on the sport, as part of a budding media career to which he seems perfectly suited.

And who is now joining a mid-table team in the second tier of domestic rugby in the Middle East.

All of which would seem a bit trippy, were it not for the fact there is actually a precedent for such quirkiness happening in this part of the rugby world.

Like that time Dan Carter rocked up to be a waterboy for a charity side at the Dubai Rugby Sevens.

And when Mike Phillips would join in with training while coaching Jebel Ali Dragons.

Or when Carlos Spencer was running rings around part-time players on the fields of Sharjah Wanderers.

Check out the picture gallery above for a list of just some of the surreal sights seen in UAE rugby in recent years.