KUALA LUMPUR: Johor made up for the disappointment of the Selangor Malaysia Games (Sukma) by winning three out of the four titles on offer at the National Sevens rugby championships in Kuala Terengganu today.
Johor defeated Selangor 10-5 in the men’s open final at the Tengku Muhammad Ismail Rugby Stadium to recapture the title they last won in 2024.
Johor also beat Selangor in the men’s under-20 final (12-7) and the women’s under-20 final (31-5). Terengganu downed Royal Malaysian Police 19-0 in the women’s open decider.
Johor men’s squad head coach Saizul Hafifi Md Noor said winning the men’s open title meant a lot to the squad.
Luqman Nur Hakim Ahmad Termizi and Nor Hakim Ahmad scored Johor’s tries while Wan Daniel Syazwan Wan Zulkifli scored Selangor’s solitary try.
“We saw that Selangor kept on improving with each match they played throughout the tournament so we knew we had to work out a plan to keep them at bay in the final,” said Hafifi.
“We tried to control the rhythm of the match and refrained from playing too fast. It paid off in the final and we are grateful to win.
“It means a lot to win the National Sevens again, especially after we could not defend our Sukma gold earlier this year.
“This squad is a mix of players from our 2026 and 2024 Sukma squads, ensuring we have continuity for our players’ development.
“To also win the men’s and women’s under-20 titles here just makes it even sweeter.”
Johor had on Friday beaten Selangor 24-7 in the group stage.
Johor were stunned by eventual winners Kedah in the Selangor Sukma semi-finals after conceding a last-gasp penalty earlier this year and were forced to settle for bronze.