What The Teams Said – Malaysia and Philippines Reactions to SEA Women’s XVs Championship 2026

Malaysia won the SEA Women’s XVs Championship 2026, defeating the Philippines 78-0 on Saturday, 14th February, at the ground where Tens Rugby started. The win meant a lot to the hosts, but for all of the teams, the return of Women’s XVs Test rugby is a symbolic, emotional and triumphant return to the international stage for Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines.

The social spirit, bonds and camaraderie off and on the field were a testament to what it means to all three unions, their players and staff. We heard from Malaysia and the Philippines on the final day about what it has meant, and what their dreams are for the future.

Malaysia Women’s XV Head Coach Raimi Yusof – SEA Women’s XVs Championship

Overseeing his team’s draw with Singapore and beating the Phillipines, Malaysia won the title at home in front of a very pleased and proud crowd and Union officials.

Photo Credit – Malaysia Rugby Union – Malaysian squad and management

Head Coach Raimi Yusof told us: “The last time I had a Malaysian Women’s XV team was in 2012 when we played Singapore. Since then, we haven’t competed at this level, and that’s a long time. It’s been a real eye-opener, and we gave an opportunity to a lot of these girls to be involved who usually only play 7s and 10s rugby in Malaysia. 

We came into the tournament and set ourselves high targets, knowing we would play strong teams like Singapore and the Philippines. We had about 5 weeks to prepare and took advantage of that, and spoke with the girls to say that if they wanted this, they would have to make sacrifices, as we needed time to get them ready to teach them the art of XVs. 

They really took up the challenge. In that first game, we made some mistakes in defence and our structure or shape wasnt quite right, but we have improved since then.”

Photo Credit – Malaysia Rugby Union

He added, “We came into the Philippines game under pressure, knowing we had to chase the 51 points. I told them to concentrate on playing well and winning first, and then see about the score.”

We thought the drive, aggression, physicality and skillset as well as some of the tries, were excellent in the win. The Coach smiled and said, “Some of those big tackles caught my eye, too. We had a lot of contact sessions in preparation to give them confidence and the desire to win, and that showed in the win.”

For the long -term what is the dream?

“We want Malaysian rugby to keep playing XVs rugby, so we can build and have a larger pool of players to select from over the next 3-5 years. The oldest player I have is 40, and we have young players who need more exposure.”

Maslina Ahmad Ismail (#18 playing at number 8)

Photo Credit – Malaysia Rugby Union – Maslina Ahmad Ismail – Malaysia Women’s XVs

Maslina was an absolute powerhouse across the two games with countless carries, huge hits and a commanding voice that helped drive her team on. Her club is the oldest womens rugby club in Malaysia, the Dingoes are a pioneer of women’s rugby in Malaysia and were established back in 2008 – they had a handful of players in the Malaysia Test team.

So what has this tournament and the win meant for her? “I played at number 8 across these two tests, and this is the first time we have played 15s for a long time, so it’s a start for our team. We set a bar we wanted to meet, so I am very proud of my team and what we have achieved. 

We knew we needed to score more than 51 points in this second game to win the title, and our coach tried to relieve the pressure on us. We did feel the pressure, but we were composed, and each of us did their job well, and the result went our way. We saw the Philippines match against Singapore, and we had a good strategy, and we have a very good backline, so we used the kicking and running game and executed really well.

Our target would be to play in Asia Rugby Division 1, and I would love for Malaysia to go to the Womens Rugby World Cup.”

There has been no mention of the tournament or the results from World Rugby, even though these are official capped Test matches. The World Rugby rankings can be seen here.

Photo Credit – Malaysia Rugby Union

Philippines Women’s XV Captain Anna ‘Trixie’ Pacis – SEA Women’s XVs Championship

The US-based captain of the Philippines played fly-half and scrum-half in the two Tests in the SEA Women’s XV Championship 2026. She was wearing #10 in the series.

“This means everything to us to have this competition and to play XVs Test match rugby again. Fifteen’s rugby brings more diversity and opportunity to the game, and we love to see girls from all backgrounds and all shapes and sizes, and all positions have an opportunity to step onto the pitch and represent their nation.

For us, the Philippines, we have girls who have come from all parts of the world, but we all have Filipino roots, and for many of us, this is an opportunity to reconnect with our Filipino heritage, and we take that to heart, and you could see that on the pitch. We get to play side by side with our Filipino sisters, and we get to play other teams who share Asian roots, and we dont take that lightly.”

Photo Credit – Malaysia Rugby Union

On this being a foundation for growth and development of the Women’s 15s game.

“We know we are building a long-term programme, and we hope there will be many more opportunities for the next generation of players to play 15-a-side rugby for many years to come.”

The last Test was in 2019. The team has a new coaching setup that had never met, only two days to prepare together, and many girls had to fundraise to get to represent the Philippines in Malaysia, so the results were less important.

What is her message to critics who might just look at the results and who have not watched the games or understand the challenges faced?

“There is so much adversity that our players have to face, and that female athletes have to face that goes on behind the scenes, and the fact that people might not know it and just base assumptions on the scoreboard, says a lot about the individuals who take to the pitch. I am just so proud as we never gave up, and that for me matters more than the numbers on the scoreboard. I hope this is just one step in many steps to make 15s rugby a mainstay here in Southeast Asia.”

Photo Credit – Malaysia Rugby Union

The social aspect was fantastic, and we were honoured to be part of that and witness that. 

“You can’t play rugby forever, but those friendships and bonds you make in the third half, you can hang on to those relationships forever. I have seen girls here that I last saw in 2010, and you can bet we are buying each other a beer at the bar at the end of the day. 20 years from now, we could be coaching or involved in the game in other ways, and we will walk past each other and have those shared memories.

Rugby is about more than what happens on the pitch, and anyone who plays the game knows rugby transcends the game and it’s a great opportunity to share our culture, our dance, our spirit with other women who love the game as we do.”

So, what’s next?

“I have the honour of being on the inaugural Philippines Women’s 15s rugby team in 2010, and playing for the nation has been the honour of my life. I am not saying ‘never’, but I am planning on moving on with personal projects and family plans, and my boot broke today, so it might be a sign from the heavens. But I love this sport, and I hope to be here in some shape or form.”

Photo Credit – Malaysia Rugby Union – Philippines squad and management

On retirement, we asked about PRFU President Ada Milby who had previously also retired and came off the bench (she had packed her boots just in case), and the captain told us, “There are a few of us who had retired and un-retired to be here today, and it was such an honour to play alongside her as we go back over many years on tours and each of those moments is special.

The older I get and the shorter the runway is for my rugby career, the more I savour each moment. My message to the younger girls is to soak it up and leave it all on the field.”

Philippines Vice-captains Katrina Andrews & Tanya Louise Bird

Photo Credit – Malaysia Rugby Union – Philippines Vice-captains Katrina Andrews (#7)

The PRFU said after the game, “Congratulations to the Women’s Volcanoes for making a comeback after seven years. The team will regroup and compose themselves for the succeeding competitions ahead.”

Katrina (#7) is based in the Philippines and played flank and lock. She said, “For me, we have been waiting for this for seven years, and the past four years I have been trying to organise an unofficial development team which flies to Borneo every year to play 15s rugby and half of the team are part of that.

We are all so happy it’s finally here, and we just hope that next year we can come back stronger. I hope 15s rugby and the tournament get bigger over the next 5 years, and I hope that Philippines Rugby gets more competitive (she paused and laughed)… We are not retiring; we have both agreed we are cancelling retirement until we get the result we want. But for anyone who wants to give rugby a go, just try it, you miss every shot you dont take.”

Photo Credit – Malaysia Rugby Union

Tanya played hooker (#2), flank and 8 in the tournament. She is based in the UK, but has played with the Philippines in both 7s and 15s since 2017 and competed in the PWR with Leicester Tigers.

Tanya said, “I have been waiting since 2018 to play a 15s Test. These are my 3rd and 4th caps, but it’s a long time. This has been about showing the world that the Philippines can play rugby and trying to build a 15s squad, which is a mix of local girls and those from overseas. 

It’s something we have had to fundraise ourselves, and compared to the other teams, we only had two days to prepare. I am so proud of the girls as I felt we did grow in each game, and we left our hearts on the field – we are all leaving the jersey in a better place for the next generation.”

Photo Credit – Malaysia Rugby Union – Philippines Vice-Captain #2 Tanya Louise Bird

On the goals for the future?

I would like to see over the next few years a more semi-professional setup for all the unions and have a pathway to get a shot at the Rugby World Cup qualifiers, as all the teams who competed here deserve a shot against Hong Kong China, Japan, and Kazakhstan. 

We need to grow rugby and get the backing, and get more girls to play the sport and find more talent that is out there. We need to keep finding it and working on ourselves. If you have not played the game, just try it, and you will find the best family in the world. I have been playing for 21 years and would not change it.

SEA Women’s XVs Championship 2026 News

• Match Review – Malaysia Convincingly Beat the Philippines and Won the SEA Women’s XVs Championship 2026.
• What The Teams Said – Singapore and Philippines Reactions to SEA Women’s XVs Championship 2026.
• Match Review – Singapore Dominates the Philippines in the Second SEA Women’s XVs Championship 2026 Match.
• Match Review Malaysia vs Singapore – SEA Women’s XV Championship 2026 Starts With a Draw.
• SEA Women’s XV Championship 2026 – Tournament Preview.