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

The Singapore Women’s XV have concluded their SEA Women’s XVs Championship 2026 campaign with a draw and a win, while the Philippines’ return to the international stage was met with defeat at the hands of the Singaporeans.

The Philippines has one match left against hosts Malaysia, and that result will determine the inaugural winners of the new XVs international competition. So, what has the reaction from the teams been to the new tournament?

Singapore Women Leave SEA Women’s XVs Championship 2026 Undefeated – “We Have What It Takes”

Singapore Women’s XV Head Coach Zaki Mahmood told Rugby Asia 247, “We showed a lot of improvement and character, and a lot of these girls have only started playing rugby over the past 3-4 years. We have 16 debutants, and most have only played a short domestic club season.

That desire to perform was better in the win today. We had great meetings after the first game to talk about the expectations, and today they showed some real fire and determination. Hopefully they all go back to Singapore and share their experiences with their clubmates, schoolmates and friends and help grow the game.

For all of the girls, too, they will not have had such a quick turnaround of two matches in less than a week and the recovery and emotional challenges that come with it. For them to play the standard they showed today, I am really proud. 

They showed hunger and determination. It was also important, as we have a small playing pool, and I hope the Union continues to invest in them.

Photo Credit – Malaysia Rugby Union

We could see the emotion at the end of the game in the huddle – the main message was about acceptance and being unified. We had a player come in from Australia, members who came from our Sevens rugby team, and we have players from different clubs, so they needed to put differences aside and be open to everyone.”

Singapore captain Mery, who started both games in the loose forwards, and who is retiring from rugby after this campaign, told us, “The 15-15 draw in the opening game was not the result we wanted but considering we have so many debutants in the group and that this is the first 15s Test in such a long time, we will take it.

A lot of the younger girls now know what the real standard is expected at the international level, and some of the seasoned players really cherished this opportunity, as you never know when it’s your last one, so it’s been a good campaign.

Photo Credit – Malaysia Rugby Union – Singapore captain Mery – SEA Women’s XVs Championship 2026 Match Singapore vs Philippines

I feel really honoured to have captained this team in my last games. They work so hard and inspire each other. Some of the 7s players who came in helped raise the standards, too, and now there is a level we expect, and we need to keep it going upwards. 

We were here to really make a mark for Singapore and for Women’s 15s, and showed we have what it takes. What I hope is that this is the start of an era, even though it’s only three countries now, we hope there will be more interest from the other Southeast Asian nations and to inspire other girls, as we have what it takes.”

Philippines Women – “This will be the spark for the Philippines Women’s 15s”

Philippines Women’s XV Head Coach Hasan Gurhan Ilter said of the performance in the opening loss, “We had very limited time to train and prepare as a group, and that had a knock-on effect. Also, the challenge of having overseas-based players and local players, and everyone comes from a different environment and a style of play, as well as cultural differences.

Ultimately, as the Head Coach, I have to adapt as well to the style I know. But we are like a family and well-gelled, but we need to find that connection on the pitch. Unfortunately, we only have the two matches, but it will be a good experience for all involved.

I thought we showed some improvements in the second half, but we were not good enough on the scoreboard. That is rugby, and we will take lessons from today, and we will address what we have done right and what we have not done right before Saturday’s game against Malaysia.

Photo Credit – Malaysia Rugby Union

The key areas to improve on are our structure and our set piece to have that platform to build from. Defensively in the first half, we were not there, but we did push them hard in some areas of the game, and I felt we got better as the game went on.

We need to have the perspective that this is the first Test for the Philippines women since 2019, and for many in our team, their first cap. We have players who have little to no experience in 15s rugby, too, so hopefully this will be the spark for the Philippines Women’s 15s, and after the tournament, we can map out the next three years.”

The next (and final) match takes place on Saturday, 14 February 2026 (4 pm local time) with Malaysia taking on the Philippines.

Photo Credit – Malaysia Rugby Union

Asian Rugby Tournament News 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.
• Melrose Claymores Teams for Cathay / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2026 Confirmed.