Rugby union in Malaysia
Encyclopedia
Rugby union
in Malaysia is a sport with a long history, and a significant participation. There are 41,050 registered players, and the country is currently ranked 57th. There are sixteen unions, associations and councils affiliated to the Malaysian Rugby Union, more than 300 clubs, and 600 schools which teach the game.
(Malaysian
: Kesatuan Ragbi Malaysia). The Malaya Rugby Union (as it was then) was founded in 1921 and joined the IRFB in 1988. The founder members were Selangor
, Ipoh
District, Singapore
, Malacca
and Negeri Sembilan
.
It is a founding member of the Asian Rugby Football Union
.
in the late nineteenth century. It has had a steady presence since the beginning of the 20th century, when the Malay Cup between Singapore national rugby union team
and Malaya
was established, which is one of the oldest rugby competitions in the world.
There is also the Agong's Cup (Piala Agong) which are played between the 13 states in Malaysia, the 3 Federal Territories, Royal Malay Regiment
(Army) and Royal Malaysian Police
(PDRM).
The first inter-club match was played in 1902 between Singapore Cricket Club
and Royal Selangor Club
. Royal Selangor Club
has also hosted one of the oldest rugby sevens
tournaments in Asia, the Jonah Jones Rugby Sevens Tournament.
The Malaysians have been instrumental in setting up a number of other South Asian competitions, which have helped bolster the game in the region, amongst these were an Asian "round robin" tournament between Malaysia
, Singapore
, Sri Lanka
, and Indonesia
. However, while the game is popular at school level, economic factors prevent many people playing after they leave.
Amongst the other Malaysian innovations has been the game of "tens
" - yet another smaller variant on the usually fifteen a side game.
Malaysia also has a national sevens team
.
battleship
, the HMS Malaya
. In honour of this, the competition was renamed the HMS Malaya Cup in 1933. A soccer cup of the same name began at the same time, but has since changed its name to the Malaysia Cup
.
1998 Commonwealth Games
Malaysia is an active participant in the Commonwealth Sevens, and the 1998 Commonwealth Games
, held in Kuala Lumpur
was the first Commonwealth Games
to feature the sport.
In front of 20,000 fans at the Petaling Jaya Stadium, Rugby sevens was an enormous success with New Zealand
collecting its 100th Commonwealth Games medal with a 21-12 win over the plucky Fiji
(the reigning world champions
). Man of the match was the giant Jonah Lomu
who had worked tirelessly during the 10-minutes each way final. Led by veteran star David Campese
, Australia took the bronze beating Samoa
33-12.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
in Malaysia is a sport with a long history, and a significant participation. There are 41,050 registered players, and the country is currently ranked 57th. There are sixteen unions, associations and councils affiliated to the Malaysian Rugby Union, more than 300 clubs, and 600 schools which teach the game.
Governing body
The governing body is the Malaysian Rugby UnionMalaysian Rugby Union
Malaysian Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in Malaysia. It was founded in 1921 and became affiliated to the International Rugby Board in 1988. They organise the annual Malaysia Sevens tournament....
(Malaysian
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
: Kesatuan Ragbi Malaysia). The Malaya Rugby Union (as it was then) was founded in 1921 and joined the IRFB in 1988. The founder members were Selangor
Selangor
Selangor also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity") is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east, Negeri Sembilan to the south and the Strait of Malacca to the west...
, Ipoh
Ipoh
Ipoh is the capital city of Perak state, Malaysia. It is approximately 200 km north of Kuala Lumpur on the North-South Expressway....
District, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Malacca
Malacca
Malacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
and Negeri Sembilan
Negeri Sembilan
Negeri Sembilan, one of the 13 states that constitutes Malaysia, lies on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia, just south of Kuala Lumpur and borders Selangor on the north, Pahang in the east, and Malacca and Johor to the south....
.
It is a founding member of the Asian Rugby Football Union
Asian Rugby Football Union
The Asian Rugby Football Union ' is the governing body of rugby union in Asia under the authority of the International Rugby Board.Founded in 1968 by eight charter nations, the Union today has 27 member unions in countries across Asia, stretching from Kazakhstan to Guam.The aim of ARFU is: "to...
.
History
Rugby was introduced to the British colony of MalayaBritish Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
in the late nineteenth century. It has had a steady presence since the beginning of the 20th century, when the Malay Cup between Singapore national rugby union team
Singapore national rugby union team
The Singapore national rugby union team represents Singapore in international rugby union. They have yet to make their debut at the Rugby World Cup, though since the 1995 Rugby World Cup, Singapore have been participating in qualification competitions....
and Malaya
Malaysia national rugby union team
The Malaysia national rugby union team represents Malaysia in international rugby union. Malaysia have yet to make their debut at the Rugby World Cup, but have attempted to qualify since the South African World Cup in 1995.-History:...
was established, which is one of the oldest rugby competitions in the world.
There is also the Agong's Cup (Piala Agong) which are played between the 13 states in Malaysia, the 3 Federal Territories, Royal Malay Regiment
Royal Malay Regiment
The Royal Malay Regiment is the premier unit of the Malaysian Army's two infantry regiments. At its largest, the Malay Regiment comprised 27 battalions. At present, two battalions are parachute trained and form part of the Malaysian Army Rapid Deployment Force...
(Army) and Royal Malaysian Police
Royal Malaysian Police
The Royal Malaysia Police is a part of the security forces structure in Malaysia. The force is a centralised organization with responsibilities ranging from traffic control to intelligence gathering. Its headquarters is located at Bukit Aman, Kuala Lumpur. The police force is led by an...
(PDRM).
The first inter-club match was played in 1902 between Singapore Cricket Club
Singapore Cricket Club
The Singapore Cricket Club is one of the premier sports and social clubs in Singapore. Its clubhouse is located at the Padang in Singapore's central business district....
and Royal Selangor Club
Royal Selangor Club
The Royal Selangor Club is a social club in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, founded in 1884 by the British who ruled Malaya. The club is situated next to the Dataran Merdeka, or Independence Square, padang , and is accessible from Jalan Raja...
. Royal Selangor Club
Royal Selangor Club
The Royal Selangor Club is a social club in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, founded in 1884 by the British who ruled Malaya. The club is situated next to the Dataran Merdeka, or Independence Square, padang , and is accessible from Jalan Raja...
has also hosted one of the oldest rugby sevens
Rugby sevens
Rugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
tournaments in Asia, the Jonah Jones Rugby Sevens Tournament.
The Malaysians have been instrumental in setting up a number of other South Asian competitions, which have helped bolster the game in the region, amongst these were an Asian "round robin" tournament between Malaysia
Malaysia national rugby union team
The Malaysia national rugby union team represents Malaysia in international rugby union. Malaysia have yet to make their debut at the Rugby World Cup, but have attempted to qualify since the South African World Cup in 1995.-History:...
, Singapore
Singapore national rugby union team
The Singapore national rugby union team represents Singapore in international rugby union. They have yet to make their debut at the Rugby World Cup, though since the 1995 Rugby World Cup, Singapore have been participating in qualification competitions....
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka national rugby union team
The Sri Lanka national rugby union team represents Sri Lanka in international rugby union competitions. Sri Lanka have yet to make their debut at the Rugby World Cup. They have the longest tradition of organised club rugby in Asia, dating back to 1879, which was just 8 years after the founding of...
, and Indonesia
Indonesia national rugby union team
The Indonesia national rugby union team represents Indonesia in rugby union. They are nicknamed the "Rhinos". The team is an associate member of IRB. They have yet to play in the Rugby World Cup. The Indonesian squad was formed in 2006 to attend the IRB sanctioned Six Division Asian Rugby Football...
. However, while the game is popular at school level, economic factors prevent many people playing after they leave.
Amongst the other Malaysian innovations has been the game of "tens
Rugby tens
Rugby tens, also known as ten-a-side and Xs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of ten players, typically five forwards and five backs. Matches are much shorter, often of two ten-minute halves...
" - yet another smaller variant on the usually fifteen a side game.
Malaysia also has a national sevens team
Malaysia national rugby union team (sevens)
The Malaysia national rugby union sevens is a minor national sevens side. They have competed in the Hong Kong Sevens since the 1980s.Malaysia has also qualified for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.-Singer Sri Lankan Airlines Rugby 7's:...
.
HMS Malaya Cup
The major trophy is the "HMS Malaya Cup" which was first presented in 1921 and still is awarded to the winners of the Malay sevens. The original trophy was presented by the officers and men of a BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
, the HMS Malaya
HMS Malaya (1915)
HMS Malaya was a Queen Elizabeth class battleship of the British Royal Navy, built by Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth and Company at High Walker and launched in March 1915...
. In honour of this, the competition was renamed the HMS Malaya Cup in 1933. A soccer cup of the same name began at the same time, but has since changed its name to the Malaysia Cup
Malaysia Cup
The Malaysia Cup is an annual association football tournament in Malaysia. It is currently the longest-running football competition in Asia...
.
1998 Commonwealth Games1998 Commonwealth GamesThe 1998 XVI Commonwealth Games were held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 11 September to 21 September 1998 making it the first Asian country to act as host and the last Commonwealth Games for the 20th century. A record 70 nations supplied 3638 athletes...
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| Men's Rugby Sevens | |||
Malaysia is an active participant in the Commonwealth Sevens, and the 1998 Commonwealth Games
1998 Commonwealth Games
The 1998 XVI Commonwealth Games were held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 11 September to 21 September 1998 making it the first Asian country to act as host and the last Commonwealth Games for the 20th century. A record 70 nations supplied 3638 athletes...
, held in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
was the first Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
to feature the sport.
In front of 20,000 fans at the Petaling Jaya Stadium, Rugby sevens was an enormous success with New Zealand
New Zealand national rugby union team (sevens)
The New Zealand national rugby union sevens team is the New Zealand representative team in rugby union sevens and competes in the IRB Sevens World Series, Rugby World Cup Sevens and the Commonwealth Games.-IRB Sevens:...
collecting its 100th Commonwealth Games medal with a 21-12 win over the plucky Fiji
Fiji national rugby union team (sevens)
The Fiji Sevens side is one of the most popular and successful Sevens teams in the world and has won the Hong Kong Sevens a record nine times since its inception in 1976. Fiji has also won the Sevens World Cup twice, winning that event in 1997 and 2005...
(the reigning world champions
1997 Rugby World Cup Sevens
The 1997 Rugby World Cup Sevens was the second edition of the tournament and held in Hong Kong. Fiji defeated South Africa 24-21 to take the title for the first time. The match is still considered one of the best Sevens matches of all time...
). Man of the match was the giant Jonah Lomu
Jonah Lomu
Jonah Tali Lomu, MNZM is a New Zealand rugby union player. He had sixty-three caps as an All Black after debuting in 1994. He is generally regarded as the first true global superstar of rugby union. He has had a huge impact on the game...
who had worked tirelessly during the 10-minutes each way final. Led by veteran star David Campese
David Campese
David Ian Campese , also known as Campo, is a former Australian rugby union player. Campese was capped by the Wallabies 101 times, and held the world record for the most tries in test matches until Daisuke Ohata scored his 65th try playing for Japan on 14 May 2006...
, Australia took the bronze beating Samoa
Samoa national rugby union team (sevens)
The Samoa national rugby union team represent Samoa internationally in rugby sevens, a competitive sports tournament titled the IRB Sevens World Series which takes place annually in seven countries; United Arab Emirates, South Africa, New Zealand, United States, Hong Kong, Australia, England and...
33-12.
See also
- Malaysia national rugby union teamMalaysia national rugby union teamThe Malaysia national rugby union team represents Malaysia in international rugby union. Malaysia have yet to make their debut at the Rugby World Cup, but have attempted to qualify since the South African World Cup in 1995.-History:...
- Malaysia national rugby union team (sevens)Malaysia national rugby union team (sevens)The Malaysia national rugby union sevens is a minor national sevens side. They have competed in the Hong Kong Sevens since the 1980s.Malaysia has also qualified for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.-Singer Sri Lankan Airlines Rugby 7's:...
- Robert Miln NeillRobert Miln NeillRobert Miln Neil was a Scottish international rugby union player, who played for and the Lions.He went to Edinburgh Academy and also played for Edinburgh Academicals....
, who died in Kuala LumpurKuala LumpurKuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
in 1914. - Thomas Hart (cricketer)Thomas Hart (cricketer)Thomas Mure Hart was a Scottish cricketer and rugby union player. He played twice for the Scotland national rugby union team and twice for the Scotland national cricket team as a right-handed batsman and right-arm fast-medium bowler.-Biography:Born in Glasgow in 1909, Hart was educated at...
, rugby player and cricketer for Malaya.