KUALA LUMPUR – The national men’s rugby 7s team will be missing out on their Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations, trading festive reunions for intense preparations as they set to defend their SEA Rugby 7s Championship in Singapore – to be held on April 4 and 5.
Speaking to Scoop, national rugby 7s head coach Nik Safuan Ismade Nik Man said this marks the first time his squad will compete in an international tournament during the Raya celebrations since the team was revamped three years ago.
For the record, the last three editions (2022, 2023 and 2024) of the SEA Rugby 7s Championship were usually held in February or early March.
“This is definitely going to be a difficult period for the boys, as this new batch of players has never spent Hari Raya away from their loved ones, and this is something new for them.
“Although a few of my players requested time off to be with their families, I had to deny their requests because I want the players to realise and understand that sacrificing personal time and dedicating themselves to the country is more important than anything else.
“I had to sacrifice a lot of family time during my playing days for the country, and even now, as a coach, I am doing the same. If I can make the sacrifice, then, of course, my players should be able to do the same. No exemptions.
“This is an important tournament for us, and we need to be focused. It will also serve as the perfect training ground for the players ahead of this year’s Bangkok SEA Games.
“Raya can be celebrated once we have completed our duty,” said Nik Safuan.
At the same time, Nik Safuan is confident that the players selected for the tournament are capable of delivering their best performance despite having had a short preparation period.
The Pahang-born coach also said his team must win two matches, mainly against Indonesia and the Philippines, to secure a place in the final stage.
“The most crucial factor is the players’ fitness, as they only started training at the beginning of Ramadan. Tactical preparations come second, but we are grateful to be able to train at the National Sports Institute (NSI) and National Sports Council (NSC) gymnasiums.
“The pressure is on the Malaysian team. With a relatively short preparation period, achieving our key performance indicator (KPI) has become a rather challenging task.
“However, that is not an excuse for us. So I am hoping for something special from the players when they face the Philippines and Indonesia on the first day of the tournament. We need to win both matches to secure our place in the final,” Nik Safuan added.
A total of seven teams – Singapore A, Singapore B, Brunei, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia – will compete in the SEA Rugby 7s Championship, which will take place at the Jurong West Stadium in Singapore.
The national men’s 7s squad was crowned champions of the SEA Rugby 7s last year after defeating the host, Singapore A, with a score of 14-10. – March 31, 2025