KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysia Rugby Union (MRU) is deliberating whether to host the crucial playoff match against Sri Lanka or travel to Colombo, as they fight to retain their spot in the Premier Division of the Asian Rugby Championship (ARC).
Speaking to Scoop, MRU secretary general Fahmy Jalil revealed that Asia Rugby has informed Sri Lanka, the Division One champions, who have agreed to face Malaysia in a playoff for a place in the Premier Division next season.
Malaysia, which has competed in the Premier Division since 2018, is now on the brink of relegation to Division One after finishing at the bottom of the standings this season, losing all their matches to South Korea, Hong Kong, and newcomers the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The playoff match is expected to take place in January, with Asia Rugby offering Malaysia the option to host the game.
However, the field at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Stadium, which hosted Malaysia’s match against Hong Kong on June 8, is currently closed for renovations.
Fahmy also pointed out that, due to financial considerations, it might be more cost-effective to send the team abroad rather than host the match, as organising the event would incur significant expenses.
“It’s still too early to make any decisions. We have a meeting scheduled with the entire executive council in September to discuss this further.
“For context, hosting a match, like the one against Hong Kong, cost the MRU around RM98,000. Additionally, we had to find a third party to provide a Television Match Official (TMO), similar to a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in football, and there aren’t many in Malaysia who can offer that service.
“When we played against South Korea in Incheon, we spent around RM45,000, with our expenses mainly covering logistics.
“So, if given the choice, I would personally recommend that we play against Sri Lanka at their home ground,” said Fahmy. – August 11, 2024