(KUALA KANGSAR) – Four-time champions Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School (SSTMI) showcased their prowess by gracefully advancing into the elite top eight teams, securing their place in the Cup Plate quarterfinals at the MCKK Rugby Primer 7s (P7s) Championship, held today on the hallowed grounds of Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK).
Joining SSTMI in this prestigious stage of the competition are seven other teams that earned their berths through their rankings. These include Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tun Hussein Onn (THOR), Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Jalan Tiga (ARAS), The Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK), Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar (EC), Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan ABI (SMK ABI), Sekolah Sukan Malaysia Pahang (SSMP), and Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Telok Mas (SMKTM).
In tomorrow’s highly anticipated Cup Plate quarterfinal clashes, top-seeded THOR will square off against SMKTM, SSMP will challenge SSTMI, ARAS will face SMK ABI, and the local favorites, MCKK, will lock horns with EC.
SSTMI, gunning for their fifth title after their previous triumphs in 2011, 2012, 2016, and 2017, dominated Group B with an unblemished record, amassing an impressive nine points despite being ranked fifth overall.
Their path to Group B supremacy involved victories over the 2019 champions, Sekolah Menengah Sains Selangor (SEMASHUR), with a narrow score of 10-7, an emphatic 45-0 triumph over Maktab Sabah Kota Kinabalu (SCKK), and a hard-fought 19-14 win against Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan HOSBA (SMK HOSBA).
The hosts, MCKK, also clinched a well-deserved spot in the quarterfinals after emerging as Group C champions, displaying their dominance with convincing victories over Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan ABI (SMK ABI) at 19-12, an international opponent, Sekolah Menengah Agama Darunajah (SMAD) from Jakarta, Indonesia, at 43-5, and Sekolah Berasrama Penuh Integrasi Kuantan (INTEK), at 48-0.
ARAS led the way in Group A and secured their place in the quarterfinals by sweeping aside all opponents, including Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan King George V (KGV) with a resounding 36-0 victory, Sekolah Menengah Sains Sultan Mahmud (SESMA) at 38-5, and Sekolah Sultan Alam Shah (SAS) with an astonishing 68-0 win.
In Group E, SSMP demonstrated their mettle by winning all their matches, which included a 45-0 thrashing of Sultan Sulaiman National Secondary School (ART), a 22-5 victory against Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan King Edward VII (KE VII), and a hard-fought 20-7 win over Shizuoka Seiko Academy (SSA).
The 2020 champions, EC from Johor Bahru, secured an automatic place in the quarterfinals after dominating Group F, which featured convincing victories over Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Victoria (VI) at 34-0, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Sultan Yahya Petra 1 (SSYP1) at 17-5, and SMKTM at 19-17.
The Cup Plate final is scheduled to kick off at approximately 5:15 PM tomorrow (Sunday). Additionally, there will be quarterfinal matches in the Bowl and Shield categories, adding further excitement to this thrilling championship.
