‘Kampung school’ is a force in rugby
SK BUKIT Tinggi, a rural school from Kepala Batas, Kedah, are flexing their muscles as a new rugby power.
And keeping a wary eye on them are the established rugby playing schools, both at district and state level.
At last weekend’s national level Phantoms GIR 7s tournament in Sik, Kedah, SK Bukit Tinggi, playing under the name, Broncos, won the boys’ Under-10 and Under-12 titles, and were runners-up in the girls’ Under-14.
Their rugby-loving team manager-cum coach Zumardi Zainal Abidin introduced the sport to SK Bukit Tinggi in 2012.
A rugby player during his school days in Jitra, Kedah, Zumardi’s passion for the sport did not diminish after becoming a teacher.
Zumardi’s former teacher and mentor, Abdul Razak Abu Bakar encouraged him to introduce rugby to SK Bukit Tinggi. And in 2012, he decided to start the sport at the school.
Together with four teachers, Mohamed Razmir Abdul Rashit, Mohamed Adri Adenan, Mohamed Erman Ahmad and Mohamed Sazwan Mansor Mutulili, they got the project going.
Their hard work, together with the strong commitment from the students, started to bear fruits in 2015 when the school's Under-10 and Under-12 boys team won the Kubang Pasu District Schools titles.
Zumardi said that was the beginning of his school's dominance in both the age-groups at the district level since their initial victory in 2015.
“There has never been a time where we were short of players. We have eight years old playing in the Under-10 category and 10 years old playing in the Under-12.
“We are not only happy but also proud of the school's achievement, especially our girls’ team. They are between 10 and 12 years old but took on the 14 years old and finished as the runners-up in the cup final.
“This clearly shows that our school, though a `kampung' school, are not short of excellence in sports and education,” Zumardi said after the prize presentation at SMK Sik in Kedah on Saturday.
Zumardi said the success of his school’s rugby programme is largely due to the strong support - financially and in kind - of parents.
He said SK Bukit Tinggi, with an enrolment of about 485 pupils, has never failed to provide at least six players for the district team at state level schools tournament, and a minimum of four players to represent the state at the national schools rugby tournament.
Zumardi said they aim to maintain their supremacy at district level, and he hopes more of his players would be selected for the state team.
Among the tournaments that SK Bukit Tinggi had achieved success in last year were at the KL Tigers, Cobrats in KL and the northern championship in Penang.
In 2015, SK Bukit Tinggi participated in the Contours 10s in Singapore, finishing 14th out of 24 teams.
Meanwhile, SK Paya Terendam, the hosts of the inaugural Phantoms GIR 7s Tournament, were knocked out in the semi-finals by SK Bukit Tinggi.
SK Paya Terendam hostel warden Ahmad Che Dris said they were not disheartened by the unexpected failure, as this will make them work harder for the next tournament.
SK Paya Terendam is a rural school situated about 15km from Sik in a village called Kampung Siam. The school is under the Education Ministry's development programme for the very poor (Program Pembangunan Rakyat Termiskin).
RESULTS — Boys' Under-10 Cup:
1 Broncos (SK Bukit Tinggi), 2 SK Juara, 3 SK Permai Indah and Rhinos. Plate: 1 GIR Kedah, 2 Giants, 3 SK Kuak Luar and Phantoms X Under-12 Cup: 1 Broncos, 2 SK Sungai Kechil Ilir, 3 Prongos and Belalang RC.
Plate: 1 Rhinos, 2 Lions, 3 Jaishun and Star Tarantula. Bowl: 1 Jerong, 2 SK Mahkota Sari, 3 Giants and Phantoms. Shield: 1 Pendang Bears, 2 River Kob, 3 SK Plang and Phantoms Riders.
Girls Under-14 Cup: 1 Saina, 2 Broncos, 3 Giants and Star Tarantula.
Plate: 1 Bella Phantoms, 2 Bulldozer Girls, 3 SK Plang and Pendang Bears.