Abu Dhabi do –Leeds chief Back supporting bold move

The two London clubs will contest their LV Anglo-Welsh Cup

game on January 30 in Abu Dhabi, at aspecially-constructed 5,000-capacity stadium at the Emirates Palace Hotel.

Although it is the more commercially appealing brands of Wasps

and Harlequins that are involved in launching the bold move, Leeds Carnegie head coach Back hopes the Yorkshire club will one day have asimilar role to play in taking rugby to new frontiers.

"I think it's brilliant," said Back, who spent time coaching in the Gulf state last summer with the Leeds Rugby Foundation.

"I love Abu Dhabi, I've been across afew times. It'll be pretty

hot, even at this time of year it'll be in the early 20s, but it's agreat concept.

"I don't believe it will extend into the Premiership, I don't think it would be right to do that.

"But certainly for the LV Cup it gives asquad the opportunity

to get out into the sun, do some warm weather training and then

play in adifferent environment and in different conditions.

"It seems agood concept. Hopefully, it will be successful and

Leeds can do it very soon."

Wasps board director and former England star Lawrence Dallaglio said: "To be the ?rst club to take acompetitive game of rugby overseas really re?ects Wasps' desire to be innovative and try new things.

"We want to ensure that Wasps has along-term future and it is

steps like this that strengthen the club and develop aglobal brand."

Union follows its cross-coderival league and cricket in pioneering new frontiers with Super League having expanded into France, Wales and Scotland and the county champions now playing the domestic cricket season's annual curtain-raiser in Abu Dhabi.

Rugby Foootball Union chief executive John Steele has beengiven

the go-ahead to make significant changes to the organisation's senior management structure.

Steele presented his comprehensive review of the RFU yes-

terday and will speak to staff this morning before those changes are made public.