Sarawak Rugby Union get Army’s solid support
KUCHING: The Sarawak Rugby Union ( SRU) yesterday received a major boost in its efforts to develop rugby in the state when the Armed Forces agreed to come in and help by providing training facilities.
Fi r s t Infant ry Divi sion Commander Datuk Stephen Mundaw, who is himsel f a sportsman, assured SRU that the Army rugby fields in Kuching and Miri could be used for training and competitions as and when the needs arise.
He gave this assurance after receiving a courtesy call from the SRU delegation led by its president Richard Song Swee Jin at Muara Tuang Camp along Jalan Dato’ Mohd Musa in Kota Samarahan.
Accompanying Song were SRU secretary Abdul Ghafar Arshad, treasurer Lawrence Tan and advisor Lawrence Lee.
Stephen believes that rugby together with boxing and selfdefence arts are vital for character building among army personnel. He would very much like to see the Army, whom he described as having left the rugby game for far too long, to make an active comeback.
Song expressed his gratitude to the commander for agreeing to forge bi-lateral ties with the local rugby fraternity in providing assistance in training, coaching and refereeing.
He extended the invitation to Stephen to attend the Song Kheng Hai Memorial Cup Sevens rugby tournament which will be held at Song Kheng Hai Rugby Ground from Apr 8- 9.
Stephen not only agreed to attend but consented to SRU’s request for the army to erect tents and marquee around the venue for teams to rest.
Other requests to provide ambulance and medical personnel on stand-by during competition as wel l as providing seating arrangement at the grandstand for VIPs and invited guests were also approved.