South East Asia Rugby Federation Launched to Drive Regional Unity and Growth

Rugby unions from across Southeast Asia have come together in Bangkok to officially launch the South East Asia Rugby Federation (SEARF) — a new collaborative platform created to strengthen coordination, grow the game, and promote Southeast Asia’s voice in regional and global rugby.
The meeting, hosted by the Rugby Football Association of Thailand under Royal Patronage, brought together founding members from Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, who finalized the Federation’s Charter and agreed on a rotating leadership structure aligned with SEA Games hosting cycles.

As the current SEA Games host nation, Thailand was appointed to hold the first SEARF presidency, with Pol. Lt. Col. Kunthon Prachuapmoh named as President, the President of the Malaysian Rugby Union as Vice President, and Mr. Sahapol Polpathapee as Secretary-General. The presidency will rotate based on SEA Games hosting duties to ensure equitable leadership across member unions.
​
“It is a great honor to be appointed as the first president of SEARF,” said Pol. Lt. Col. Kunthon. “We want to work together to help every ASEAN country build stronger rugby programs — especially those without teams yet. Our goal is for rugby to be included in every SEA Games moving forward.”

This sentiment was echoed by all members, who recognized the urgent need for collaboration after Rugby 7s was excluded from the 2021 and 2023 SEA Games due to host nations not fielding teams. SEARF aims to provide ongoing support and development to emerging rugby nations in the region, ensuring that rugby is no longer sidelined from major sporting events.

“This is a significant step forward,” said Ada Milby, President of the Philippine Rugby Football Union. “As individual unions we’ve achieved a lot, but through SEARF we can pool knowledge, align strategies, and open new doors for players, coaches, and officials throughout Southeast Asia.”
The SEARF Charter outlines core objectives:

• Organizing annual regional competitions in 7s and 15s formats
• Coordinating collective engagement with Asia Rugby and World Rugby
• Promoting the inclusion of Rugby 7s in every Southeast Asian Games
• Providing shared technical, medical, and administrative resources across unions
• Supporting countries currently without rugby programs to launch and grow the game

Though not a legal entity, SEARF operates as a collaborative and inclusive platform, driven by mutual support and aligned vision. Council meetings and Annual General Assemblies will guide its priorities, with working groups focused on competitions, development, and governance.

“Rugby is growing fast in Southeast Asia,” said Sunny Seah, President of the Singapore Rugby Union. “With this federation, we’re not only building better systems and competitions — we’re strengthening our identity as a rugby region and ensuring our athletes have more opportunities to thrive.”
​
For further updates and partnership opportunities, contact your national rugby union or stay tuned for the launch of SEARF’s official communications channels.