National Lottery plc and the Malta Sports Journalists Association (MSJA) are pleased to announce that Malta Men’s Rugby Sevens National Team won the third IZIBET Elite Athlete Award for 2025, covering the months of May and June.

The Malta Men’s Rugby Sevens National Team achieved a historic promotion to the Rugby Europe Sevens Trophy Division which is the second highest tier out of five in European Rugby. The team progressed from the lower-tier Conference 2 division in only three years.

Malta entered the Rugby Europe Conference 1 tournament with a 24–17 loss to Serbia. However, that was not the end of it! They bounced back strongly, defeating Finland 27-10 and Austria 27-21, securing the second place in the group and a spot in the semifinal against Andorra. In a thrilling semifinal, Malta had a 10-7 victory and secured the promotion to the Trophy Division. Unfortunately, due to a series of injuries Malta lost the final against Monaco 24-5.

Franco de Gabriele, Chief Commercial Officer of IZI Group commented “We are proud to present the IZIBET Elite Athlete Award to the Malta Men’s Rugby Sevens National Team for their outstanding achievement. Their historic promotion to the Rugby Europe Sevens Trophy Division is a testament to their dedication, discipline, and the growing strength of rugby in Malta. At IZI Group, we remain committed to supporting local sports and celebrating Maltese athletes who demonstrate excellence and resilience on the international stage.”

Lorraine Cuningham, General Secretary of the Malta Sports Journalists Association said, “The success of the Malta Men’s Rugby Sevens National Team is truly noteworthy. In recent years, we have witnessed remarkable progress in this discipline, and the team’s recent promotion comes as no surprise. This honour is well deserved, not only for their performance in this competition, but also in recognition of their journey from the Conference 2 Division just a few years ago.”

The IZIBET Elite Athlete Award recognises exceptional performances by local athletes and is awarded every two months.

A selection board composed of sports journalists and sports observers is responsible for evaluating the athlete’s achievements during the designated review periods, ensuring a fair and thorough assessment process.

In the meantime, the official website of the Malta Sports Journalists Association https://www.maltasportsjournalists.com/ provides the rules and regulations governing the award.

Photo caption: (From left)  Brendan Dalton (Malta Rugby Seven’s Vice Captain), Lorraine Cunningham (General Secretary of the Malta Sports Journalists Association) and Jethro Zammit Randich (Malta Rugby Seven’s Captain).