Three new national teams’ rugby shirts were yesterday launched by the Malta Rugby Football Union.
Members of the national team squads showed off the new shirts during a news conference held on the Black Pearl at Ta’ Xbiex/Msida marina, four weeks ahead of the forthcoming important home international match against Croatia at the Hibernians Stadium.
Addressing the press, Martin Galea, MRFU president, said the revamp of these jerseys was long overdue. “However, it is timely since the shirts properly reflect the importance of our relationship with the sponsors of the Union. In fact, the logos of our sponsors – Cisk, Gasan Mamo, Gasan Mazda, Malta International Airport and Mediterranean Bank are all clearly featured on the shirts,” he said.
Members of the women’s national 7s team modelled their new shirt featuring the MIA logo as sole sponsors of the women’s 7s team. This jersey will be worn during the forthcoming European Nations Group B international matches, the first of which take place on 2 and 3 July in Riga, Latvia.
Two national men’s 7s squad members also displayed their new shirt which will be worn during the European Nations Group B matches, also in Riga, on 9 and 10 July.
Said Galea: “Our boys will wear these shirts with great pride. For them it is a treasured possession,” he added.
Galea went on to thank the sponsors for their steadfast support, giving them a greater presence on the international stage.
He said that at present, the Cisk League was buoyant while the Mediterranean Bank, which has proved to be a success, is now in its final stages, as is the Ladies Malta International Airport 10s Cup which is scheduled for 14 May.
Galea also thanked the InterContinental Hotel for offering free accommodation (sponsorship amounting to €8,000) to the national squad on the days ahead of the international matches.
Galea said the match against Croatia was very important and though it will, as usual, be difficult, there was a good chance of a victory after two successive defeats.
National coach Damien Neill said they have been preparing for this match and training will intensify later next month as the match approaches.
He said there will be some changes. “We have had to do with some injuries and that means we will have to introduce some new faces to the squad, which is good for local rugby,” he said.
He added that this match and the next against Sweden away were two massive challenges ahead of the national team. “We will do our best to improve our position in the standings. We have to avoid the last two places in the group and that means we have to win points from these clashes, even if the Sweden match will be more difficult as they are currently top of the group,” he said.
Asked what are the prospects for the MRFU to have its own facilities, Galea said a stadium and a training pitch had been earmarked for use by the MRFU at the White Rocks Complex. “There have been meetings with the developers, but no agreement has been signed yet. We do not yet know what is happening, but we have no indication that the project will not go ahead,” he added.