SELANGOR: Sarawak Rugby Union (SRU) will strengthen its women’s rugby pathway by launching a school-level development programme after back-to-back Malaysia Games (SUKMA) silver medals convinced the union that a first gold is within reach.
SRU president, Datuk Zainal Abidin Abdullah, said the initiative would focus on identifying and nurturing young female talent while broadening the state’s player pool ahead of future campaigns.
“Women’s rugby has grown a lot in Sarawak. We will start this programme from the school level to develop the younger generation, especially girls, from a young age,” he told Sarawak Tribune after the women’s final at Sultan Suleiman Field.
He said the programme would be coordinated by SRU together with clubs and rugby divisions, with support from the Sarawak Sports Corporation (SSC) and Sarawak State Sports Council (MSNS).
Sarawak finished runners-up to hosts Selangor at SUKMA Selangor 2026, repeating the silver-medal result achieved at SUKMA Sarawak 2024.
Despite falling short of gold again, Zainal said reaching consecutive finals reflected the team’s progress.
“Alhamdulillah, congratulations to the team. Reaching the final was our target for this SUKMA. We hope to do even better at the next SUKMA with better preparation and a stronger team,” he said.
Beyond SUKMA, SRU also plans to expose the squad to more competitions around the country to accelerate their development.
“There are many things we need to improve. We are looking forward to participating in more rugby tournaments locally and throughout Malaysia,” he said.
While gold remains the ultimate target, Zainal believes building a stronger grassroots foundation will give Sarawak its best chance of reaching the top of the podium at the next SUKMA.
