KUCHING: Kolej Datuk Patinggi Abang Haji Abdillah emerged as the biggest winners at the NRDP-SRU Under-18 Rugby Sevens Championship after capturing both the boys’ and girls’ Cup titles at Song Kheng Hai Field here yesterday (July 5).
The school completed a memorable double by defeating MRSM Kuching 19-5 in both finals, capping an impressive campaign in the two-day tournament, which featured 16 boys’ teams and eight girls’ teams from across Sarawak.
In the boys’ competition, Kolej Abdillah booked its place in the final after defeating SMKA Sheikh Haji Othman Abdul Wahab (SHOAW) 12-5 in the semi-finals, while MRSM Kuching overcame Vokasional Matang 17-7. Kolej Abdillah then sealed the title with a 19-5 victory over MRSM Kuching in the final.
The girls’ team followed suit after defeating SMK Lake 20-5 in the semi-finals before overcoming MRSM Kuching 19-5 in the title decider. MRSM Kuching had earlier edged SMK Balai Ringin 10-5 to reach the final.
Beyond the titles, the championship also served as the selection platform for Sarawak’s squad to the National Rugby Development Programme (NRDP) Under-18 Sevens Championship, which will be held at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang, on July 25 and 26.
Sarawak Rugby Union (SRU) NRDP coordinator Zamzi Abdul Rahman said the tournament’s primary objective was to identify players capable of representing the state at the national championship.
“The objective is to select players to represent Sarawak. Some will be chosen from this tournament, while others have been invited from universities to strengthen the squad,” he said.
Although the championship is not a direct selection event for the Malaysia Games (SUKMA), Zamzi said it forms part of a continuous development programme.
“If these players perform well, we will continue to monitor them for future programmes,” he added
