"Malaysia's first rugby stadium." Really?
This was posted on social media yesterday and was widely reported . Let's look at the history regarding the construction of a rugby stadium in Malaysia. 1. For years, domestic and international rugby matches have been played at the MBPJ Stadium in Kelana Jaya. It must also be noted that several clubs like the Eagles Rugby Club in Sandakan, Sabah have beautiful playing spaces, equipped with the right set up similar to that of a stadium. 2. In Feb, 2010, then Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek revealed there were plans to build a RM35 million rugby stadium in Kota Kinabalu, as reported by The Star . 3. The construction of the stadium did not take off immediately due to several contributing factors including "finding the right site and financial constrains". 4. Ahmad Shabery's predecessor Khairy Jamaluddin had in 2015 visited the site for the new rugby stadium, as posted on his Twitter account. 5. In 2017, Sabah Rugby Union's V