Malaysia Rugby should propose new tournament for equitable play

IT has been reported recently that Malaysia Rugby has initiated preliminary talks with the Fiji Embassy and the Higher Education Ministry to attract young rugby talents from Fiji, Samoa and Tonga to study and play in the country until they qualify to represent Malaysia under World Rugby’s rules.

Currently, foreign players have to complete 60 consecutive months of residency to be eligible. Previously, the requirement was 36 months.

The likely outcome of such a proposal is already foreseeable; it would not lure the better players.

Understandably, these players would prefer to don their respective national colours as their countries are already in World Rugby’s top flight.

Moreover, there is always the possibility of them being recruited earlier by either New Zealand or Australia, as these island nations have always been the former two countries’ traditional hunting grounds for talents.

Malaysia is not lacking in home-grown rugby talents.

During my playing days in the 1960s and the late 1970s, Malaysians were able to match their opponents from the British, Australian and New Zealand military sides in most aspects of the game, losing mostly in the scrummages and lines due to weight and height disadvantages.

Understandably, Malaysia Rugby has recruited these Pacific Islanders mainly for their powerful and towering physiques to compensate for these physical shortcomings.

Yet, Malaysia’s international standing is still unsatisfactory.

These physical handicaps are evident in most Asian teams.

International rugby does not differentiate between the Davids and Goliaths – they are pitted in the same arena. And in such brutal physical combat, which is rugby’s defining trait, the outcome is almost predictable.

In light of this uneven tussle, it is prudent for Malaysia Rugby to reconsider its proposed policy of luring rugby talents from the Pacific islands.

A more strategic use of its resources would be to rally other Asian nations and jointly exert pressure on World Rugby to introduce another international competition strictly based on players’ weight, preferably limited to those 80kg and below.

Such a tournament would provide a more equitable playing field among the Caucasian, South Sea Islander and Asian players. It would also open greater opportunities for our players to exhibit their rugby talents on the world stage. Malaysia Rugby could begin this initiative by encouraging the Olympic Council of Malaysia to propose replacing the Rugby Sevens at the Olympics with this weight grade format.

This would give every nation, especially in Asia, a realistic chance to strike gold.

In fact, the Olympics Sevens is a redundant reiteration of the current World Sevens Series, featuring largely the same dominant teams and players.

NG PENG KONG

Kuala Lumpur