KUCHING: The NRDP-SRU Under-18 Rugby Sevens Championship is strengthening Sarawak’s player development pathway, with the Kuching Division Rugby Association (KDRA) welcoming the state-level tournament as a vital platform to identify and nurture future rugby talent.
The two-day championship, taking place on July 4 and 5 at the Song Kheng Hai Field, brings together boys’ and girls’ Under-18 teams from across Sarawak under the National Rugby Development Programme (NRDP), which is managed by Malaysia Rugby and implemented at the state level by the Sarawak Rugby Union (SRU).
KDRA President, Zulkarnain Hisham Sarbini, said the association fully supports the initiative, describing it as an important step in strengthening school rugby and providing young players with opportunities to progress to higher levels of competition.
“This is a state-level tournament hosted in Kuching, and we are very pleased to see it being organised here. As KDRA, we always encourage programmes that contribute to the development of school rugby for both boys and girls.
“The NRDP is a very good programme and we fully support what SRU is doing to develop the game in Sarawak. It is something that everyone involved in rugby should get behind,” he told Sarawak Tribune yesterday (Saturday, July 4) when met at the field.
Zulkarnain explained that KDRA works closely with teachers and schools to identify promising players, maintaining long lists of talented youngsters who could eventually represent Kuching in age-group competitions.
He said the association continuously monitors school tournaments and development programmes to ensure talented players are given opportunities to progress through the rugby pathway.
Zulkarnain said KDRA continues to scout promising players through teachers and schools, maintaining long lists of boys’ and girls’ players for future representative competitions
According to Zulkarnain, KDRA’s emphasis on grassroots development has already produced tangible results, particularly at the state level.
He noted that many players in Sarawak’s current men’s Under-21 squad preparing for the upcoming Malaysia Games (SUKMA) previously came through KDRA’s development system.
“I am proud to say that many of the players in the current Sarawak men’s Under-21 team are products of KDRA.
“There are players we have helped develop before they moved up to represent the state,”he said.
The championship is part of the NRDP programme aimed at developing young rugby talent and creating pathways to higher levels of competition.
