In 2018, Wong Wye Wye left the national stable days before the Asia Rugby Championship campaign.
Wong, popularly known as Marc Le, was clearly unhappy with the management then which he claimed lacked professionalism and ethics, among others.
The episode is now in the past as Wong believes his move has somewhat made a difference.
Lee Nyuk Fah stepped down as the national men’s 15s rugby coach but was quoted as saying it was not due to Wong’s comments. Former All Black Brad Mika replaced Lee as national coach last year.
“We’ve got a new coach, a new team management as well since 2018 and also some new faces on the team … a change in the environment and the culture as well,” said Wong, who was a guest on The RSS with HD yesterday.
“I think some things need to change, the development processes of rugby in Malaysia and how the game is played. It’s no good trying to change the national team while affecting everything else below that to make the national team stronger.
“Look at it like you’re trying to grow a plant. You need good soil, you need to water it, you need right amount of sun and shade before the plant actually sprouts up. That’s what you kind of need with a national team, you need all the development processes (in place) before you get a really strong (national) team.”
Wong played for the national team last year and was supposed to even play this year. The Covid-19 pandemic, however, disrupted sports worldwide.
“I believe I still have a place in Malaysian rugby, more of a mentoring role. I hope to mentor the younger players.”
Wong, who will turn 34 on Oct 6, recalled his earlier days in the sport where he had seniors who guided him through, hoping he would do the same when he eventually becomes a senior in the sport.
Meanwhile, Wong admitted Malaysians need to pay more attention to turning fitness into a lifestyle. According to the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2019, some 8.1 per cent of the adult population in Malaysia, or about 1.7 million people, have diabetes, hypertension or high cholesterol.
“The food is great in Malaysia and I love eating at the mamak restaurant but it’s about choosing the right food, knowing what to eat more and what to avoid.
“Imagine if you are diagnosed with something like cancer. You’d give up everything, even sell your house, to be cured. Why wait till then? Why not invest in fitness now to minimise the risk?” he added.
He said discipline and motivation were equally important in ensuring people stick to their goals.
The RSS with HD is a weekly talk show aired on YouTube every Sunday at 4pm. Hosted by actor Rashid Salleh and Twentytwo13 editor Haresh Deol, the show’s guests include a list of sports personalities, including Olympians Maninderjit Singh, Che Chew Chan and Annastasia Karen Raj, national taekwondo exponent Sara Yap, Olympic Council of Malaysia president Datuk Seri Norza Zakaria and FA of Malaysia secretary-general Stuart Ramalingam.
Local brand Amnig is the official apparel sponsor.