RUGBY CONFIDENTIAL: The Middle East’s grand plans for rugby revealed with three Gulf nations vying to host 2035 World Cup, new leagues and major shake-up of the established elite

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 nations that, if things go to plan, he will be pushing forward to host the Rugby World Cup in 2035.

We have already seen the Fifa World Cup, golf, Formula One and boxing’s biggest heavyweight fights land in the Middle East and rugby could be the next hot ticket in the dessert. The sport’s 2028 Nations Cup final is set to be staged in Qatar and there are more plans afoot.

At last week’s Leaders in Sport conference at Twickenham, representatives from Saudi’s Public Investment Fund and the Abu Dhabi Sports Council rubbed shoulders with executives from World Rugby and other governing bodies. The cogs of the sports industry were in motion.

Rugby is in its infancy in the Middle East but there is enough of an appetite to make a dent in the game’s squeezed market. Al-Dhalai has a vision to bring the world’s best players into new territories at both club and country level.

‘The Middle East is witnessing a large appetite for different sports and now we are witnessing a lot for rugby,’ said Al-Dhalai. ‘I would like to see the Rugby World Cup coming back to Asia in 2035, whether that’s Japan, the UAE, Qatar or Saudi Arabia.

Asia Rugby president Qais Al-Dhalai is aiming to bring the World Cup back to the continent

Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup is seen a proof Gulf nations can deliver big events

‘It would be an amazing event. Everyone was pointing fingers on Qatar that they could not deliver a Fifa World Cup. You could watch two games on the same day; one at 5pm and one at 9pm. The Qataris did a great job in hosting this mega event, so why not rugby?

‘Things will fall into place when there is investment into the sport. Players will start to come to the Middle East. Fijian players go to the Top 14 to play and study in France. When the investment comes to the Middle East, talented players will start to come. This is the formula.

‘Look at how it happened in Japan, after the Rugby World Cup in 2019, players from all over the world are going to play in League One. The same will happen in countries like UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia when the investment comes to these places.’

The future of the sport could pivot on next month’s World Rugby elections. It is telling that candidate for the chairmanship Abdel Benazzi has translated his manifesto into Arabic; outlining his desire to shatter the game’s protectionist barriers.

Al-Dhalai is running for the executive board and he believes the sport’s outdated voting system – dominated by traditional founding nations – is stunting its growth potential.

‘At the moment, rugby doesn’t seem to be truly global,’ said Al-Dhalai. ‘It is very well known in the founding unions but the monetary investment into non-traditional markets is not sufficient. Africa and Asia are two sleeping giants. Rugby is not football or athletics. Rugby is a very niche sport so it needs a new mindset and a revolutionarily style of leadership to take it to the next level.

‘If we keep doing business as we have for the last 20 years then don’t expect a change. The voting structure of World Rugby seems not fair to many regions. Fifa’s voting system is one country, one vote; each one sitting at the table is equal. In rugby. there are 52 votes and 33 of those come from 11 unions: SANZAAR (South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina), the Six Nations and Japan.

Al-Dhalai highlighted Japan’s investment after hosting the Rugby World Cup back in 2019

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 well 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 little club. When World Rugby begins to invest then we will see the difference.’

Departing World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont recently claimed it is only a matter of time before the sport taps into the Middle East. Major sponsorship deals with Emirates and Qatar Airlines already exist and the Sevens series hosts some of its biggest tournaments in Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai. Last year, funds based in Saudi and Qatar sent investment proposals to the Wallabies and Springboks through their banking platforms.

There have also discussions with Premiership clubs around setting up partnerships with Saudi Arabia. Ali Al Dajani, President of Rugby Saudi Arabia, was privy to the discussions but his short-term plan is to introduce more ‘indigenous’ players at the grassroots level.

‘Everyone looks at Saudi in a particular way,’ said Al Dajani. There’s a lot of investment in sports, and there’s always a lot of rumours. Rugby in the Kingdom is becoming 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 there are 50 or 60 girls a session every week.

Newcastle have been among the Premiership clubs to be linked with Saudi investment

‘We’ve had a lot of people asking about investing in Saudi. A few clubs have talked about investing in a programme to send people over. I met with Semore Kurdi of Newcastle Falcons when he came to Saudi. They came through our info email and then we set up a meeting. Semore came to see the landscape and I believe he met with a few other entities in Saudi, but the media blew it up to 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 look at it but we need to see how it feeds back.

‘I can’t speak for every entity in Saudi; every company has its own objectives. Our budget as a federation is purely for the development of the sport in Saudi; we are not an investment arm. Yes, Saudi has a lot to invest in, but we need to see there’s a mutual benefit.’

Al Dajani hosted Sonny Bill Williams on a visit to Riyadh last year. Other big names will no doubt follow as rugby’s movement in the Middle East gathers momentum.

England to be hosted by Barcelona

England will be guests at Barcelona’s Champions League game against Bayern Munich on Wednesday night.

Steve Borthwick’s team have been staying an hour outside of the Spanish city, enjoying a warm weather training camp in Girona ahead of the autumn series.

Bayern striker and England football captain Harry Kane previously starred in an adidas advert alongside Jonny Wilkinson.

Steve Borthwick’s England side will be guests of Barcelona having trained nearby in Girona

Pollard targeted by Japanese big spenders

Japanese big-spenders Suntory Sungoliath are one of the leading suitors to sign Handre Pollard when his Leicester Tigers contract expires at the end of the season.

Pollard, 30, has been instrumental 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 No 10 Handre Pollard

Barrett and Savea among early All Blacks arrivals 

The All Blacks will send an advanced party over to the UK ahead of next week’s Test against England at Twickenham.

The Kiwis have rested their star names for Saturday’s game against Japan in Tokyo, so the likes of Beauden Barrett and Ardie Savea will be given extra time to acclimatise in London, with some taking part in a sponsorship takeover of Covent Garden on Saturday.

England, meanwhile, have welcomed rugby league coaches from the Canterbury Bulldogs to their training camp in Spain this week.