Borneo 7s all set and ready

KOTA KINABALU: The stage is set as renowned teams converge in Sandakan for the 15th edition of the Borneo 7s International Club Sevens this weekend.

The annual tournament dubbed ‘The Greenest Sevens in the World’ is happening at the home of the Eagles Rugby Club (ERC) at Bandar Utama, Mile 6 along Jalan Utara.

A total of 10 teams, including local and foreign, will be vying for the top honours.

Among them are the HK Dragon, Belgium Barbarians and Borneo Eagles. Others in the fray include the Singapore RU, Armed Forces (ATM), Sabah Eagles, Charis Rugby 7s Melbourne, Pally Pirates Perth, Blowpipes Panthers and Brunei RU.

Host team Borneo Eagles are all set and ready to defend the crown they won last year. Unfortunately, their arch rivals and 2015 finalist Daveta will not returning for this year’s edition.

Nonetheless, the Eagles and Sabah Rugby Union are confident that the participating teams will bring enough punch to the action to keep spectators on the edge of their seats.

All rugby fans in the state are welcome to come catch the live action free of charge.

Meanwhile, Malaysia Rugby Union (MRU) president Dato Wira Amiruddin Embi lauded the organiser, the ERC, for their efforts in staging the championship, which he said is good for the development of the game not only in Sabah but also for the whole nation.

“As the president of the Malaysia Rugby Union, I am always glad to learn about our respective state rugby unions/associations organising tournaments and other activities that will bring benefit to the game in our country,” Amiruddin said in his message in the tournament’s souvenir programme.

“Therefore, when the Eagles Rugby Club, an affiliate of the Sabah Rugby Union, applied for sanction to organise the 2016 edition of their long-standing Borneo Sevens tournament series, we had no hesitation in extending our approval, subject to the conditions laid down by the rules governing the game.

“With the staging of a major tournament like the Borneo 7s, the game will be the focus of good publicity from various electronic and printed news media. This will bring rugby into the limelight and give prominence to this game that we all love so much,” he added.