SMK St Michael Penampang proudly showing off the NRDP-SRU Cup with Song.
KUCHING: SM St Michael of Penampang, Sabah stamped their supremacy in the inaugural NRDP-SRU East Malaysia Schools Seven A-side Cup rugby championship when they blanked Kolej Datuk Patinggi Abang Abdillah of Kuching 22-0 in the Cup final at Song Kheng Hai Ground last Sunday.
They opened their campaign with a 17-12 win over Kolej Abdillah in the group match before thrashing SMT Sejingkat of Kuching 24-0 and overcoming MRSM Kuching 12-7 to top their group.
SM St Michael went on to beat SMS Miri 39-0 in the quarterfinals and edge SMK Muara Tuang 17-14 in the semi-finals. Their player Estmond JR was also adjudged as the Best Player of the Match in the Cup final.
Finishing in third place was SMK Muara Tuang of Kuching who beat SMK Tungku of Lahad Datu, Sabah 22-15 in the play-off.
The Plate final saw SMK Agama Sheikh Haji Othman Abdul Wahab (SHOAW) of Kuching beating SM Sains Miri 38-12 while MRSM Kuching claimed the Bowl trophy after beating SMK Agama Limauan, Papar of Sabah 15-7.
In the Spoon Category, SMK Wira Penrissen beat SMK Sejingkat 14-5.
The two-day tournament for under-16 players was jointly organised by the Malaysia Rugby Union under its National Rugby Development Programme (NRDP) and the Sarawak Rugby Union (SRU). Sixteen teams from Kuching, Miri, Betong and Sabah took part in the tournament.
Prizes were given away by SRU president Richard Song Swee Jin and Ashley William Kutoh who is Sports Unit officer of the Sarawak Education Department.
Among those present were NRDP operations manager Mohamad Yusof Mohd Hussain, officer in the Sports Section of the Ministry of Education Malaysia Mohd Izzuan Zakri and the Sarawak Schools Sports Council technical manager Mohd Nafri Abdul Rahman.