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Today (Tuesday), Pakistan’s Lahore rugby team will face the United Arab Emirates (UAE) rugby team at the Punjab Stadium in the first match of a two-match series.
The Punjab Stadium had previously hosted the Asian Rugby Men’s Division 2 match, where Pakistan secured progress to Division 1 with a win over Thailand. The success boosted Pakistan’s confidence against the UAE today. Pakistan are currently ranked 91st in the world rugby rankings, with the UAE ranked even higher at 62nd, and a fierce battle on the field is on the way. The UAE, coached by the influential Apollo Perelini, are about to return to 15-year-old rugby after a three-year hiatus. Their outstanding performance in the second-tier league, beating Guam 82-7 in the semifinals and Thailand 50-12 in the final, gave them high hopes for a comeback.
Pakistan, on the other hand, will welcome coach Gert Mulder from South Africa, who has played a key role in changing the fortunes of the team. Last year, under his leadership, Pakistan defeated higher-ranked Thailand. Mulder, former head coach Rizwan Malik and six assistant coaches are determined to use their collective expertise to lead Pakistan to further success.
Expressing his optimism for the upcoming tournament, Pakistan Rugby Union (PRU) Chairman Arif Saeed said, “We are delighted to host the Asian Men’s Rugby Division 1 Championship in Lahore. The UAE game is well prepared and hopefully they will score well and strive for the best. Rugby is gaining popularity in Pakistan and it has a bright future here.”
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