The finest ambassadors for Maltese sport have done it again. Malta Ladies Rugby Squad registered another big impact at the European Sevens Championship in Belgium for the third year running to improve their ranking to 13th out of 37 countries.
In fact they would probably have finished one place higher if they had not started the first two matches slowly due to lack of match practice after the end of the local season.
After a rather drab 5-5 draw against Romania, a shock 5-7 defeat by Austria electrified them to move up several gears to brush aside Andorra 19-0, Belgium 17-0 and Bulgaria by a huge 36-0 with their free running, attacking play, to finish second in Group 2, pool B and qualify for the play-offs.
Sadly they met the rampant semi-professionals from Finland and went down 0-31 to an awesomely physically strong side, who went on to beat the Czech Republic 29-0 to win the Group and be promoted to the top ten.
However, showing indomitable spirit, the magnificent Maltese girls picked themselves up and restored their pride and reputation by beating Belgium 14-5 in the third place play-off.
Malta squad
Amanda Cassar, 2. Charlene Vassallo, 3. Beverie Sultana, 4. Victoria Aquilina, 5. Esther Azzopardi (captain), 6. Dorianne Borg, 7. Claire Casha, 8. Colette Bonavia, 9. Charmaine Gauci, 10. Marion Azzopardi (Vice captain)
Team Manager Audrey Vella.
The scorers were Azzopardi 31 points, Aquilina 30, Borg and Sultana 10 each, Cassar, Vassallo and Bonavia five each – a total of 96.
Final Group standings
Finland (promoted to top ten) 2. Czech Republic 3. Malta 4. Belgium 5. Austria 6. Belgium B 7. Israel 8. Romania 9. Andorra 10. Bulgaria 11. Latvia, 12. Croatia
The achievements of this squad are remarkable considering they only started five years ago, under the guidance of Robert Bonavia, progressing under the firm guidance of coach Carmelo Longo and national director of Rugby, Mr. Neill. Also considering that at present there are only 30 registered players, when most of the other countries have thousands of players to chose from.
One of their strengths is the fundamental understanding of close teamwork and that, in rugby, the passed ball is quicker than the running player, so their passing and constant support creates space to release the faster runners.
They understand the effectiveness of angled running and looping support, and despite their comparatively small size they tackle with determination.
Members of the squad say they also believe they raise their game standard in the face of the challenge of the internationals.
It is very difficult to pick out individuals from this closely knit unit, perhaps the darting opportunism and instinctive positioning of Vicky Aquilina, or the silky running skills of Esther Azzopardi, or the strength and passion of Beverie Sultana, but the greatest strength is the unity of the squad as a whole.
On top of their playing achievements, the Malta women are always popular for their social leadership. Rugby is traditionally a game for post match enjoyment and celebration and the Malta girls have built a reputation as the leaders and instigators of the fun and song. So much so that whenever there is a burst of noise or song, the International Rugby Board representative has been heard saying “there’s Malta again.”
When interviewed, Amanda Cassar said: “We worked together as a team, encouraging each other – before, during and after games - and that gave us the push needed to go forward, work harder, even when we were struggling. Not to mention the joyful atmosphere we created between games! Then at the end of the tournament a feeling of immense satisfaction when thinking how high we ranked. A truly unforgettable experience.”
Which quote sums up the reasons why these members of the team are such brilliant ambassadors for Maltese rugby, Maltese sport and Malta itself. They deserve every accolade.