Starting their long journey to Rugby World Cup qualification

No words can describe the scene of delirious supporter and player jubilation that filled the Hibs Ground on May 28 after a nail-bitingly close 31-30 win over Denmark (on aggregate) put the Malta national rugby team into the third qualifying round of the World Cup after just five years in the international rugby arena.

And although Damian Neill - Malta's Rugby Football Union coach and director, whose third win in this role was Denmark's defeat - knows that for Malta to emulate his home country of Wales's success in the sport (they won this year's Six Nations Championship and made the last Rugby World Cup quarter finals) this year is optimistic, the way things are going it could be within Malta's grasp in the not-so-distant future...

But for this dream to become reality the first obstacle Malta's national team needs to overcome is the German team next Saturday. This will be the first game Malta will play in the new "tough" B group. Serbia-Montenegro (Malta will play them away Saturday week and although they lost against them last year they beat them the year before), Croatia and Belgium are also in this group.

Malta will face Croatia at home and Belgium away next April and will have to win this group to play the winner of the A Group (which contains Spain, Moldova, the Netherlands, Poland and Andorra) and go through to the next round.

With the squad of 22 selected, Mr Neill is currently in the final preparations for the match and is playing just three local boys. Stompers and The Times staff photographer Matthew Mirabelli and Kavallieri duo Ian Borda and Chris Vassallo.

Three Aussies have made it into the squad. Two of them - winger Simon Micallef, who plays for Malta Knights, and Guy Kennedy, who plays for Canberra Vikings - will represent Malta for the first time and will join fly-half Rohan Spiteri, also of Malta Knights, who are currently on a two-week tour of the island.

The rest of the squad will fly in from the UK: K. Mason, J. Ramage, T. Webb, H. Collins, L. Watts, D. St. George, S. Kempster, M. Whitney, S. Haycock, J. Diamond, D. Busuttil, J. Caruana, T. Watts. N. Warren, O. Sacco and J. Sultana. However it's not easy preparing for an international rugby match when many of the squad live abroad.

"It's a tough decision whom to pick for the squad. You obviously want the very best players available but that means most will have to fly in... leaving them little time to practise together and prepare for the match.

"Besides, the players are obviously tired after a long flight, especially if they are coming all the way from Australia. The UK players then have to travel back home to meet up again in Serbia the following Wednesday."

But Mr Neill thinks that Malta stands a good chance against Germany and of qualifying for the World Cup. "Nothing is impossible. We have already crossed huge boundaries in the last five years and this is yet another we need to conquer," he said confidently.

In 2000 there were only 60 registered senior male players and three clubs and everything was on a low to non-existent budget with no facilities of international standards. Now there are over 200 seniors playing for five clubs (Kavallieri, Overseas, Sharks, Alligators and Stompers) and two more being formed - plus three women's teams (Kavallieri, Panthers and Sharks). Both the men's and the women's clubs have played abroad.

Mr Neill has spent his whole post-education life playing professional premiership rugby in Wales and being a sports instructor and coach. Since his appointment earlier this year he hasn't just been trying to improve Malta's chances of World Cup qualifying success by talent scouting the world for top-class players of Maltese heritage - he's also been working hard at grass roots levels.

A Malta 'A' team have been formed so that the best players in Malta get the chance to play and practise together. "The team performed exceptionally well last weekend in Sicily after beating Amatori Messina (in the Sicilian third division) 57-0. The Malta 'A' team will be the stepping stone to the National side."

The 2005/6 MRFU leagues got off to a promising start last weekend in both the men's championship and the inaugural women's sevens tournament - with high attendance all round.

"My aim is to make rugby a first choice sport in Malta. To do that we have to start children playing the sport in schools and clubs and to train PE teachers to coach rugby.

"We need to have an active league and international team for the young players to have something to aim for. Which is what we now have," Mr Neill added.

He also thinks the government should invest more in sports tourism. "There is no reason why in Malta we can't have a centre of sporting excellence, like other countries with our climate have. (For example, Club La Santa in Lanzarote).

"Not only will the government make money with athletes coming from all over the world to train here, but also our own athletes will have the very best facilities to train and compete in. It will also help tackle the nation's problem with nutrition." (Malta has one of the highest of obesity in Europe).

Rugby players have to be at least third-generation Maltese to compete for Malta. Mr Neill gets regular inquires from players of Maltese descent from all over the world and then talks to the potential players coach and watches video footage.

If they look like they will be good enough to compete and an asset to the national team he'll invite them to a weekend training camp. "So far we have had players from eight different countries making themselves available to play. It's important to see what talent is out there and eligible to play for us so that we can play good competitive rugby. We're getting stronger and stronger the more people that are coming on board."

And although we are often at a disadvantage due to lack of choice, lack of height and the fact that team players don't get paid and often have to take leave to come to Malta to compete, "we have a fantastic loyal and keen squad with amazing team spirit... and incredibly loyal fans.

"We get up to 4,000 fans at a match who are also instrumental in helping us win our games."

So come and support Malta as they take on Germany next Saturday from 1.15 p.m. at the Hibs Ground.

For further information about rugby in Malta click on www.maltarugby.com or e-mail: secretary@mrfu.org

The history of rugby in the Maltese Islands

In Spring of 2000 the MRFU joined the International Rugby Board, filed an application with FIRA and was represented in the Rugby World Cup preliminaries for the first time ever.

However the game was played in Malta long before that and can trace its origins to the Overseas Rugby Club (made up of British and Commonwealth expatriate servicemen) that was established in the post-war years.

When the British base was closed down and the services left the island in 1979 the game was in trouble... luckily a group formed a social rugby club called the Phoenicians in 1983 and since then the game in Malta has gone from strength to strength.

In 1991 the league saw a growing participation sparked off by a number of university rugby fanatics and some ex-UK public schoolboys, who formed the University Rugby Football Club, and the Overseas Club was re-established. New clubs joined in and the MRFU now enjoys a growing membership of clubs, participates in a league, Round Robin and a number of Xs and VIIs fixtures.

Mini-rugby

In recognition of the importance of youth development for the future of rugby, the MRFU is undertaking an ambitious plan to introduce the game formally to a number of schools to discover new talent and strengthen the existing clubs.

The MRFU are trying to consolidate coaching and facilities to be able to provide rugby for any age group and Mr Neill has developed the Malta Rugby Pathway and Coaching Courses.

"The Rugby Pathway takes our youths from age six until 18 through a progression appropriate to their age, physical development and understanding of the game, in their progress to play the 15-a-side game under the laws of the International Rugby Board.

"The key ingredient is enjoyment and participation and the Pathway provides a safe and enjoyable environment for the younger player and everyone involved within the game," he explained.

In addition to this the MRFU has for the first time initiated a Coaching Training and Accreditation process. Many new coaches will become Youth Develop-ment Officers. These officers will help schools to develop rugby within the school curriculum and the schools will also be invited to participate in regular competitions.

"This is a great advance for the youths of Malta - giving students another sport to be experienced in schools, and another sport to help to keep them active physically and mentally," Mr Neill added.

All parents are also being actively encouraged to watch and learn why this sport "is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. Rugby is steeped with tradition and great values. It is a game that develops team work, courage, skill, confidence, sportsmanship, camaraderie and lasting friendships."