Tourney aims to promote sport

By NG WEI [e-mail] by KAMAL SELLEHUDDIN 

SCORING financial support was a stumbling block to get the second edition of PJ Five Mixed Touch Rugby Tournament in the running.  

However, it will get underway on Saturday with the event scheduled from 9am to 3pm at Padang Utara in Petaling Jaya.  

Twelve teams are expected to join the fray - seven teams from PJ Touch, three teams from Singapore and one team each from Fitness First as well as Kuala Lumpur Japanese Rugby Football Club (KLJRFC). 

Matsumoto (right) avoiding a tackle during training.

Each team comprises 10 players with three men and two women required to be on the field throughout the match. The duration of a match is seven minutes each way with a two-minute interval in between.  

Hardened rugby players from the Cobra Club and Royal Selangor Club will also be part of the one-day tournament. 

“We have persevered in hosting this tournament for touch followers here. We need a local tournament that our players can look forward to playing. We want this event to be an annual affair,” said event organiser Claire Boudville. 

PJ Touch Rugby have also taken part in overseas tournaments organised in Singapore, Miri (Sarawak) and Pattaya (Thailand). 

In March, they were the losing finalists at a competition in Miri. The mixed team comprising four women players were up against an all male line-up from Miri in the final.  

Meanwhile, the PJ Touch Rugby women’s best achievement was winning the bowl competition in Pattaya two years ago. 

Boudville says touch rugbyis gaining popularity.

“The game has a mass appeal because it caters to individuals from various ages and abilities. Both genders can compete on a level playing field because there is no robust physical contact.” 

“Singapore is an established nation in the game for the South East Asian region. It took Singapore eight years to develop the game. We need to leverage on small-scale events of this nature to put Kuala Lumpur on the map as a sports tourism destination for the game,” said Simon Whitelaw. 

Usually, avid touch rugby players within the Klang Valley will gather at Padang Utara for weekly session on Saturday evenings. 

Last weekend, KLJRFC also showed up for the practice session with the team’s two female players - Motoko Sato and Hiroko Matsumoto. 

“I picked up the game when I was working in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) two years ago. It was a great feeling to be able to continue to play the game again,” said Sato. 

The Asia Japanese Rugby Cup involving teams from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, China, Japan held on every second Saturday in December is a major annual tournament for KLJRFC. 

“Our club was formed in 2000 for 15-a-side rugby. Participating in touch rugby is a good workout to improve on our fitness and ball handling skills,” Niwa Michikazu, who has been residing here for the past 12 years. 

Sheila Candal, who has just returned to the game after a layoff because of work commitments, cherishes the moments she spends on the park with her 15 year-old son Johan Garcia. 

“We have a good time playing together. In a way, the game helps us to develop a closer mother-and-son bond,” said Candal. 

Garcia, who is quick on his feet said: “I took up the game three years ago. It is an interesting game that stimulates thinking to adopt the right strategies. I get satisfaction for catching the ball well and running away from the marker in the game.” 

Come Saturday, the competition will be more intense and dynamic compared to the weekly social sessions with the pace of the game going up several notches. 

Last year, almost 300 spectators turned up to watch the event. 

The event sponsors include Milo, Eau Claire, Old Tavern, Prom Ad, CMA Shipping and Fitness First. 

For more details, call 012-210 9104 (Claire).