LEFT to right: Sol Mokdad, director of rugby league development in the United Arab Emirates, UAE captain John Dransfield, Saddleworth Rangers captain Michael Coates and Rangers chairman Terry Flanagan.

SADDLEWORTH Rangers overcame the challenge of a United Arab Emirates select side to win 52-36 in blistering 38-degree heat at the Emirates Stadium in Dubai.

In the main event of the club’s pioneering tour, Rangers overcame the challenge of their hosts, who boasted the talents of former Leeds and St Helens forward Wayne McDonald in their ranks.

McDonald it was who helped his side recover from a five-try Saddleworth blitz inside the opening 20 minutes, coming up with the last of three converted Emirates scores to reduce the visitors’ lead to 30-18 at half-time.

Rangers’ first half points arrived through tries from Adam Jeffries, Stephen Nield (two), Emerson Jackman and Gareth Davies, with captain Michael Coates converting all five.

Joshua Sherrin, Jeff Mace and McDonald tries were all added to by Bill Asmar goals.

After the break, Rangers claimed two more converted tries through Jackman and Adam Kirwan, before former Gloucester RU man Duncan Murray pulled one back.

Coates and Jimmy Rogers both went in before the end, the former also taking his goals tally to eight, while Emirates’ other tries came from Asmar and Sharyar Saeed.

Adam Walker took the honours as Saddleworth’s man-of-the-match, while the corresponding UAE award went to Murray.


     

A RUGBY league match officials course is to be run at the home of Oldham St Anne’s on Saturday, May 17.

It offers practical exercises and interactive classroom work in order to look at various different interpretations of the laws of the game, and all are welcome to come along.

The cost of the course is £25 adults and £12.50 for under-18s and it starts at 9.15am, running until 4.30pm.

To apply for a place, contact Peter Brooke on peter.brooke@rfl.uk.com or call 07738 131790.


     

OLDHAM Roughyeds chairman Bill Quinn is to go head-to-head with former New Zealand star Brad Hepi in the League of Legends fight night at the Reebok Stadium on June 14.

Quinn had originally expected to be pitted against either Rochdale Hornets coach Bobbie Goulding or former RL referee Karl Kirkpatrick in the event, organised to raise funds for the battle against cancer for the Steve Prescott Foundation.

But it has since emerged he will be severely put to the test against the former Kiwi enforcer.

Bill is seeking to raise money for the cause from sponsorship and forms are available from the Roughyeds office on Lansdowne Road, Chadderton, which can be contacted on (0161) 628 3677.

For a donation of £250 companies can have their names on Bill’s boxing shorts, while there are still table places available at £70 per head.     

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