KUCHING: It will be a baptism of fire for 12 girls from SMK Bandar Semariang as they step up to compete in the U15 category at the All Girls Rugby Sevens (AG7s), making their national debut this weekend.
The Sarawak side, however, is largely made up of U14 players – 11 of the 12 players are 14 years old, with only one player aged 15 – as coach Nafri Abdulrahman looks to prioritise exposure and long-term development.
The squad will feature in the All Girls Rugby Sevens (AG7s), which brings together 20 teams from across the country and will be held at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) in Serdang on May 16 and 17.
SMK Bandar Semariang have been drawn in Pool C, where they will face Damansara RC – KDRC B, SMK Air Putih Dalam (APD Ladies), and SMK Taman Kosas (Kogurlz).
They will open their campaign against APD Ladies at 9.15:am on Saturday (May 16), in what is expected to be a challenging introduction to national competition for the young Sarawak side.
Despite the tough assignment, the outing is seen as an important stepping stone in building depth for Sarawak women’s rugby, with the experience expected to benefit the players in the long run as part of a wider development pathway.
Nafri then said the focus is on giving the players early exposure at a competitive level, even if results may take a back seat in this initial phase.
“We are sending under-14 girls to play in the under-15 category and this is their first tournament ever,” he told Sarawak Tribune when contacted today (May 15).
He added that tournaments like the AG7s provide valuable learning opportunities, especially against physically stronger and more experienced opposition.
“This tournament is good to expose them (the girls) and surely for the future of the Sarawak women’s team. There is a long way to go (for these girls),” he said.
