IT’S the same remarks all over again, about having the potential, gaining experience from competing with the best there is in the rugby world but the fact is that after having been to five editions of the Commonwealth Games, the Malaysian team has yet to show the kind of progress you would expect from such regular participation.
The overall situation must also be seen in the proper context: since the inaugural event in the 1998 Games hosted by Malaysia, Asia has been represented on merit only by Malaysia and Sri Lanka, except for the 2006 Games that had only Sri Lanka. The one in 2010 also had India participating by virtue of being the host nation.
In terms of wins Malaysia’s best year was 1998, beating Sri Lanka for the only time in the 7s in recent memory and then Kenya in phase two. Those familiar with sevens rugby internationally will know that since then Kenya has left Malaysia behind by miles, with the former a regular participant in the World Rugby Sevens Series.
The format for the Commonwealth Games too keeps changing so a comparison of certain aspects would not be accurate because it’s not apple to apple. The KL Games had 18 teams but thereafter the total has been kept to 16 playing in pools of four each.
The one just concluded in Australia’s Gold Coast didn’t have the playoffs, with all four last placed teams in the pools classified as finishing 13th and the third placed teams classified as finishing ninth.
What cannot be disputed is that except for the home Games, Malaysia has never done well, losing all three out of four in 2002, four out of four in 2010, five out of five in Glasgow four years ago and three of three at the Gold Coast. (Sri Lanka was Asia’s only representative in Melbourne in 2006.)
Coach Saizul Hafifi Md. Noor highlighted the one try (and only try for the tournament) scored against Papua New Guinea as an achievement. Honestly you would be hard pressed to find many rugby fans who would agree with this.
Having seen the statistics thus far, perhaps it’s time for Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin to take another look at rugby’s participation in high level international competitions. Qualification is one thing but one has to look within the right context. How far can Malaysian rugby go?
In the 7s format a team has a squad of 12 players. Teams with better financial resources often bring one or two of what they call travelling reserves. For a team like Malaysia there would be at least three officials, including the coach. Imagine what the money spent on a team that will most likely end at the bottom of the pile can do to individual athletes with the true potential to progress as medal prospects.
It’s clear that the spat between Wallabies’ star Israel Folau isn’t over, with the player clearly not pleased with the statements made by Australian Rugby Union chief executive Raelene Castle after their meeting last week.
Castle was reported to have said that Folau was asked to think about the impact of his comments on gays at social media.
Folau has now made clear that his views remain unchanged and that he had in fact offered to walk away from the Wallabies. His contract with the ARU ends this year and he has had offers from Japan, France and Britain, although it’s unclear if they are still there after this latest controversy.
In writing to clarify his position, Folau also said that his faith is of utmost important to him and no one can change that. He is a devout Christian.
Irish players Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding must have thought they could resume their career after being cleared of the rape charges against them last week but as it turned out, both Ulster and Ireland had terminated both their contracts after an internal review.
What worked against them were the sexually explicit and offensive text messages they exchanged after their night of fun.
Both are said to be looking for contracts with clubs in England but so far, even at a much lower amount, this isn’t looking like a piece of cake.