DUBAI // A trip to Bahrain to play the undefeated champions-elect should represent a daunting prospect for Dubai Exiles.
However, the travelling UAE side will make the flight to Manama this morning aiming to make the most of what could be their final match in one of Middle East rugby's strongholds for some time to come.
Gulf rugby will undergo a major revamp at the end of this season, meaning cross-border travel, for the UAE clubs at least, is likely to be minimal or even non-existent from next term.
The changes are the result of the Arabian Gulf union being de-listed as a member of the International Rugby Board. From next year, each of the region's constituent nations will go it alone as part of the reforms.
The format of competition from next season is still undecided. However, the regular league season in the UAE is likely to involve solely Emirates clubs, which means a fixture list like today's - which sees Abu Dhabi travelling to Muscat, Dubai Hurricanes flying to Kuwait and Dubai Dragons hosting Doha - will be a thing of the past.
Wayne Marsters, the head coach of the Exiles and the former Arabian Gulf coach, said: "When we went to Kuwait, we thought to ourselves, 'Well, we may not be coming back here again'.
"People have been coming here to play rugby for 40-odd years, and now we might not be doing it again, depending what form the season takes. Bahrain are the strongest playing side at the moment, but in terms of playing numbers and clubs, the strength is obviously in the UAE.
"It is all very well for us to go off and form our own domestic competition, but we still have a commitment to developing rugby in the rest of the Gulf."
@Email:pradley@thenational.ae
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Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
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Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
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