Boost for naturalised players
MALAYSIA Rugby’s (MR) plans to ‘professionalise’ the sport in the country will see the welfare of naturalised players’ being taken care of.
MR general manager Mazuri Sallehudin said there are plans to see naturalised players being given full-time contracts with competitive salaries to allow them to fully focus on training.
A number of naturalised players have lamented the lack of support given to them, despite their contributions to the national team.
“In the past, the culture (of clubs) here in Malaysia has been to go to Fiji and hire a couple of players for a tournament and then send them back but we cannot afford to do that anymore, especially when it concerns naturalised players,” said Mazuri.
“They have sacrificed a lot for the country just as our normal national players have and we have to think about their welfare as well.
“We have plans to give naturalised players still eligible for the national team a full-time contract with a good salary in addition to support in other areas. You cannot expect them to survive on a RM1,000 or RM2,000 salary as the cost of living is very high now.
“We will be competing in the (Asian Rugby Championship) Top Three Division next year alongside Hong Kong and South Korea.
“Obviously, the standard of competition will be very high and we need to be training continuously, year-round to be able to perform well. We can’t rely on short training camps at this level.”
Mazuri disclosed that a detailed plan to “professionalise” the sport, with an emphasis on national team development, will be unveiled later this year.
In the past, local clubs have often hired foreign players on a tournament basis, leaving them with little job security.
There are currently 12 naturalised players, the majority of whom are Fijians, still actively competing at club level in Malaysia. They include players such as Etonia Vaqa Saukuru and Jone Marawa Nasalo (both Keris Conlay) who have played important roles in Malaysia’s rise to the Top Three Division in recent years. Fadhli Ishak