Bangkok: The national men's rugby team is confident about securing the gold medal in the seven-a-side competition at the SEA Games Thailand 2025, despite a change in the tournament format due to Indonesia's withdrawal.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the national men's rugby 7s head coach, Nik Safuan Ismade Nik Man, announced that the competition will now follow a round-robin format instead of the original group-based format. This change necessitates winning more matches to advance to the final. Under the previous format, teams needed to win at least one game to qualify for the semi-finals. The new format requires the team to secure at least two victories on the first day and one more on the second day to progress.

Malaysia Rugby (MR) president Amir Amri Mohamad has set a target for the national rugby 7s team to reclaim the gold medal, which they last achieved at the 2017 edition held on home soil. Nik Safuan Ismade acknowledged the challenge ahead, noting that Singapore has been preparing for the past two years, and Thailand remains a formidable opponent. Additionally, the Philippines are anticipated to strengthen their squad by including 11 heritage players from New Zealand.