From the President

Welcome to the Official Website of the Malta Rugby Football Union (MRFU)

Fellow rugby supporters, friends, and visitors, welcome to the official website of the Malta Rugby Football Union, the national governing body for rugby union in Malta and Gozo and a member of World Rugby and Rugby Europe.

Our mission is about more than eighty minutes of rugby – it is about drawing a clear line in the sand as a small but proud rugby nation, and stating our intent to be firmly in the Rugby World Cup conversation.

Our ambition is both simple and bold: to keep rising through the European rankings of European Rugby while building a sustainable future for rugby on our islands. We are working towards a Rugby World Cup qualification with the Malta national rugby team, but just as importantly, we are putting in place the systems, structures, and partnerships that will allow local men’s, women’s and youth rugby to thrive long after this qualification cycle.

A central part of this vision is a genuine, long term youth pathway which has to date been difficult to establish. From primary schools to clubs and age grade representative teams, we are determined to create opportunities for hundreds of young boys and girls to discover rugby in Malta, learn its values, and see a clear road from their first training session all the way to the national representative teams. This is how we will renew our player base, grow participation, and ensure that the jerseys worn today will be passed on with pride to the next generation. Whether you are a parent looking for youth rugby in Malta, a school interested in introducing tag or touch rugby, or an adult wanting to join a rugby club in Malta, there is a place for you in our game.

We are also embracing Malta’s unique potential as a destination for sports tourism. By positioning the islands as a Mediterranean hub for Rugby Sevens and hosting international tournaments and training camps, we can raise our competitive level while attracting visitors, investment, and international visibility. Every touring team, every camp, every Sevens tournament held here helps our players, our clubs, and our country. With year-round sunshine, short travel times from across Europe, and hopefully some quality facilities in the not to distant future, Malta is an ideal location for rugby tours, pre-season training camps, and international Rugby Sevens tournaments.

None of this would be possible without people who have already responded to our five year plan (the Malta Rugby Sporting Excellence Programme 2027–2031) and answered the call to action. I want to sincerely thank our Executive Committee, the coaching and support staff, and our club presidents for leaning into this vision, challenging us to be better and doing the hard work that often goes unseen but is always felt on the pitch.

We are equally grateful for the backing we have received from the country’s leaders and institutions in particular the Ministry of Education and Sport, SportMalta, MOC and AIMS. This broad backing reflects a shared belief that sport, and rugby in particular, can play a powerful role in Malta’s future.

Each game you watch is part of a much bigger story: a united effort to lift Maltese rugby to new heights, to inspire our youth, and to show that a small nation (in population terms we are approximately 25 times smaller than most of our competitors in EU Trophy) properly organised and working together, can achieve something extraordinary.

Thank you for your passion, your encouragement, and your belief in Maltese rugby. The opportunity is clear. The pathway is defined. The time is now.

Gerald Strickland
President of the Malta Rugby Football Union (MRFU)