KUALA LUMPUR – The international match between the Malaysia Rugby 15s and Singapore may not be a test match, but the Malaysia Rugby Union (MRU) will still treat it with importance.
Speaking to Scoop, MRU honourary secretary Fahmy Jalil said that this match will also serve as an opportunity for the national body to evaluate the players as they prepare for the Asian Rugby Championship in June.
Fahmy understands the confusion that may arise from the public’s traditional understanding of what a test match is in rugby.
“We are calling this a test match as we want to test our players after going through two phases of training. However, the game against Singapore tomorrow will not offer any world ranking points as it is more of a warm-up.
“To play a proper test match, the setup and game protocols are different. You also have to adhere to World Rugby’s laws. To the public, this is more like a friendly, where we can bring 32 players and Singapore can do the same.
“But we have received the go-ahead from Rugby Asia for this game to happen,” Fahmy said when contacted.
Earlier, Scoop had reported that the status of the match against Singapore tomorrow was up in the air.
If the match was officially recognised as an official test match, it would hold significance in earning world ranking points, with each team restricted to a squad of 23 players.
Conversely, if it is deemed a friendly game, its outcome would not impact the ranking positions of the participating nations.
Tomorrow’s match will be a good warm-up for Malaysia, which will face teams such as South Korea, Hong Kong, and the United Arab Emirates in the ARC. – May 10, 2024