Malaysia’s men’s rugby 7s team aims for SEA Games 2025 gold, adapting to a new round-robin format after Indonesia’s withdrawal from the tournament.
KUALA LUMPUR: The national men’s rugby sevens team is targeting the gold medal at the SEA Games Thailand 2025.
This ambition persists despite a change in the tournament format following Indonesia’s withdrawal from the competition.
National head coach Nik Safuan Ismade Nik Man confirmed the switch to a round-robin format from the originally planned group stage.
He explained the new system demands more match victories to reach the final.
“Previously, under the group format, we would have needed to win at least one game to qualify for the semi-finals,” Nik Safuan said.
“Now, under the round-robin format, we will need to win at least two matches on the first day and one more on the second day.”
The gold medal target was officially set by Malaysia Rugby president Amir Amri Mohamad.
The team last won the SEA Games rugby 7s gold medal when Malaysia hosted the event in 2017.
Nik Safuan acknowledged the significant challenge of reclaiming the title.
He identified Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines as the primary rivals.
“Singapore have been preparing for the past two years,” he noted.
“Thailand are another of our major rivals, while the Philippines are expected to rope in 11 heritage players from New Zealand.” – Bernama
