Highest Ranking: 45
Registered Players: 38022
Malaysia may not be the first nation that springs to mind when rugby is concerned, but rugby has a long and steady history in the country. The sport emerged in the country in the late 19th century due to the influences of British colonialism. Although initially popular within the European community, it was soon picked up by the local populace. Malaysia Rugby was founded in 1921 and became a full member of World Rugby (previously IRFB and IRB) in 1988.
As of 2019, Malaysia has 87,422 players, 38,022 of whom were officially registered, making it one of the largest countries in Asia in terms of player numbers. Their most successful player, Dinesvaran 'Duke' Krishan, has played professional rugby in Japan's Top League for Yamaha Júbilo (now Shizuoka Blue Revs) and Hino Red Dolphins. He currently plays in North America's Major League Rugby (MLR) for the Chicago Hounds.
Despite Malaysia's impressive player numbers, the country has yet to achieve much success in international rugby, with their highest ranking in the World Rugby Rankings being only 45. This is partly due to the country's economic situation, which doesn't provide prospective young players with the opportunity to play at a higher level. However, Malaysia has developed a healthy rivalry with teams such as Singapore and Sri Lanka. Moreover, the country's sevens team has participated in international rugby sevens tournaments, most recently at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Perhaps Malaysia's most important contribution to rugby is the invention of the tens format. Ten's rugby blends elements of both the seven-a-side and fifteen-a-side variants, with the lower player numbers producing a fast-paced game similar to sevens, while retaining core elements of the fifteen-a-side game such as scrums and lineouts. The game was introduced in 1967 as a means to enable smaller local players to compete with larger players from more traditional rugby countries.
Keep an eye on Malaysia, a Tier 2 rugby nation that has a real passion for the game!
