Asia Rugby Under 20 Sevens in Malaysia today; South Korea pulls out

By Shamseer Jaleel

The first leg of the Asian Rugby Under 20 seven-a-side tournament will be worked off in Malaysia on 15 and 16 August. 

One of the competition’s top teams, South Korea, pulled out at the last moment.

The second round will take place in Hong Kong on 22 and 23 August.

This first leg, which will take place in Johor, Malaysia, will be played as part of the fifth edition of the Johor Rugby Carnival. The venue of this year event is the MPPG Sports Ground in Pasir Gudang, Johor. The Sri Lankan outfit, which will be led by Peterite playmaker Kevin Dixion, left the Island last morning. This year the Rugby Asiad, which is now known as the Junior World Rugby Tournament (JWRT) Division I, will take place either in Singapore or Japan in two months’ time. Before the team’s departure, the Head Coach of the national youth team Colin Dinesh said: We had limited preparation for this tour. A lot of guys pulled out due to their studies and Advanced Level examinations. This is a fair selection bringing the pool down from 42 to 12.” 

“We wanted more utility players who could fit into any position in Sevens Rugby due to the back-to-back series in Malaysia and Hong Kong, with hardly any time for recovery from injuries.”