UAE Rugby Club Abu Dhabi Harlequins Loses More Than $100,000 In Sponsorship Deals

Emirates Rugby League side Abu Dhabi Harlequins is "confident" it can "continue to thrive despite losing sponsorship deals" worth an annual Dh 500,000 ($136,130) since the end of last season, according to Paul Radley of THE NATIONAL. The club "enjoyed unprecedented success on the field" in '16-17, but it made a financial loss of Dh 30,000 in that time, against a total expenditure that exceeded Dh 2M. Now it has lost around Dh 500,000 worth of sponsorship for the coming campaign, "which accounts for almost all the sponsorship revenue that comes into the club." Club Chair Andy Cole insisted the club "will survive," thanks to the money it recoups through player subscriptions, but he added that it is "in desperate need of new sponsors." Cole said, "It has been difficult for a number of years, it is not just something that has happened this season." The team's predicament "shines a light on the difficulties clubs have in balancing the costs in the unique rugby environment of west Asia" (THE NATIONAL, 7/2).