BORNEO Rugby 7s tournament (29 – 31 October 2010)

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BORNEO Rugby 7s tournament (29 31 October 2010)

This will be the second year running that this prestigious tournament that is sanctioned by the International Rugby Board (iRB), Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU), Malaysian Rugby Union (MRU) and Sabah Rugby Union (SRU), is being organised by the Sandakan Rugby Club and held at the Likas Stadium.

The event, held from 29 31 October 2010, will feature 3 different contests, namely the iRB Asian Rugby Sevens Series (Men), the 10th Invitational Club Sevens (Borneo 7s) and for the first time, the Asia Pacific Women Sevens.

Malaysia emerged 4th in the Shanghai Sevens that was held in September, and another top four placing here will ensure their participation in the Hong Kong Sevens World Cup Series in March next year. It will be the first time Malaysia has participated since 2003.
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"We definitely want to be in the final since we are playing at home and we will try our best. A semifinal berth will ensure our invitation to Hong Kong, which will be great for the team," said Team Malaysia manager and Sabah Rugby Union (SRU) vice-president Dr K.H. Tan.

The Malaysian players will be up against the best in Asia, with participating teams including China, Japan, Hong Kong, Guam, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Philippines, Chinese Taipei, Kazakhstan and South Korea, who emerged champions in Shanghai.

A number of naturalised Fijian players will feature for the Malaysian team during the tournament, as Clause 8 of the iRB Sevens Rules allow for players that have lived in a country for more than three years to represent the national team, provided that they have never featured for their own country before.

Four new players from the Bandar Penawar Sports School have also been called up to the squad. This will be their first time playing for the Malaysian senior sevens team, having only represented the Under-21 team before.

This leg of the Asian Rugby Sevens Series is one of only two events of this stature in the Asian circuit that is sanctioned by iRB and ARFU. Valuable points will be at stake for Asian national teams who are fighting to qualify for the annual Hong Kong 7s/Asian World Cup 7s Series.

iRB Regional General Manager Jarrad Gallagher commended the organisers for having one of the best rugby tournaments in Asia.

"This is one of two key stops in the Asian Sevens Series and both the national teams and clubs competing will field their best lineups, making the tournament very exciting for fans. This is a great opportunity for teams to gauge each other's form before heading into the Asian Games in two weeks," he said.

Gallagher was also pleased that this year will see an expanded women's event, with Pacific Island nations Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga and the Cook Islands taking on the best women's rugby teams in Asia, including Kazakhstan, Singapore and India.

Share:    />"Women's rugby in Asia has been growing tremendously and tournaments like these are leading the way in building a strong platform for its continued development," he added.

Only the Asia Pacific Women Sevens will kick off tomorrow from 3pm 6pm, while the Asian Men Sevens Series and Borneo Invitational Sevens will start on Saturday morning. All tournaments will conclude by Sunday evening, after a jampacked weekend of international rugby entertainment.

Other related activities held in conjunction with the tournament include referees courses conducted by professional referees and rugby coaching clinics for Sabahan children and youth, who have developed a strong affinity towards the sport in recent years.

Adding to the excitement of the thrilling event will be cultural performances and a mini-concert featuring well known local celebrities and up-and-coming artistes of Akademi Fantasia fame.

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