KUALA LUMPUR – For the first time in 18 years, Malaysia women’s 15s rugby squad is set to make an appearance at the Asia Rugby Championship (ARC) since its inception in 2006.
This was confirmed by the Malaysia Rugby Union (MRU) secretary-general Fahmy Jalil, when contacted by Scoop.
Malaysia will be competing in Division One alongside hosts India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
However, this poses a challenge for Malaysia in assembling a team, given that the championship will take place from December 13 to 21, leaving them with only five months to prepare.
“This is Malaysia’s first participation in a high-performance championship. In terms of preparation, we will be participating in the Seven Series Championship, with two series scheduled in September and another one in November. It is likely that all players involved in these tournaments will strengthen the national 15s squad.
“We were supposed to be ready by 2022 or even last year, but Asia Rugby did not provide a platform. So when Asia Rugby confirmed the event for this year, we are definitely participating,” said Fahmy.
At the same time, Fahmy believes it also provides a clear direction for female players at the developmental level to strive to become national players, given that previous emphasis has largely been on the national 7s squad.
“For me, this is a step forward for MRU, good for development. We look at developing women’s rugby in Malaysia through the National Rugby Development Program (NRDP).
“With such a platform, it indirectly provides players at the NRDP level with options to continue their careers either towards the 7s or 15s squads,” he added.
The Premier Division held in May in Hong Kong saw Japan emerge as champions, marking their sixth title in this championship. – July 22, 2024