Rugby coaches break into growing Malaysian game

Two former Kiwi provincial rugby coaches have cemented a deal to train up their counterparts in Malaysia to capitalise on the rapid expansion of the sport there.

NZ Rugby Resources managing director James Iverson yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding with the Malaysian Rugby Union and Canterbury NZ Asia to deliver a series of coaching clinics to a range of coaches throughout Malaysia including from the defence forces, secondary schools and the rugby union itself.

"We're looking to position ourselves strongly in the growth of the game in Asia," said Iverson, a former North Harbour coach. "We recognised that 60 per cent of the world's population is in Asia."

Marketing manager Rob Yule - a former Taranaki coach who has coached Iran and Sri Lanka as well as working on rugby development in that country - would not put a dollar value on the business.

But it is clear that rugby is potentially a serious growth market for the company and its venture partner, Canterbury Asia, which markets a range of rugby clothing and sports equipment in Malaysia.

Already, Malaysia is the 13th biggest rugby market in the International Rugby Board stable with about 35,000 players. Interest in rugby is expected to grow in Asia in the countdown to the 2019 World Cup in Japan.

"Ultimately our aim is to have Malays coaching Malaysians," said Iverson. "With our online model we can mentor them through the technology we have and come back later and monitor progress on the ground."

Yule added that if the teams were having problems a video file could be sent back to New Zealand for analysis: "We don't need to be in the market."