PETALING JAYA, May 28 — The lid has come off the pressure-cooker in Malaysian rugby, boiling over after another 91-10 thumping by Hong Kong in their Asia Rugby Championship (ARC) match on Saturday.

A disgruntled Marc Le has revealed the reasons behind his decision to leave the team, saying the status quo was already in the dumps mired with unprofessional practices, inequitable salary and prima donnas in the Malaysian camp.

On April 25, Mailsport reported that the Malaysian Rugby Union was left in the dark with the withdrawal of keyman Marc just three days before the ARC campaign.

At that time, Marc decided not to distract the mission and had chosen to stay mum on the issue.

“There are multiple reasons for my departure, but ultimately it was the continuous breach of ethics and principles by coaches and management that led me to leave the team,” he blasted.

Marc is one of two key players besides K. Dinesvaran — better known as “Duke” or “Dugro” — who are playing in Japan’s top league.

“A lot of issues are old hat but were not remedied. In the 2018 campaign, four principles were highlighted — professionalism, togetherness, accountability and respect.

“Each of these was repeatedly broken. This makes it hard for players to chase a worthy cause when coaches do not abide by it,” he disclosed.

He divulged that coaches were not fully committed, with their fulltime jobs coming first on the back of haphazard training.

“The schedule heading into our first game against South Korea did not include a rest day. Instead, (there was) more training to make up for lost months,” said Marc.

Marc added that the players’ travelling accommodation also left much to be desired.

“Accommodation in Auckland (College Rifles) was acceptable, staying in the dormitory, but relocating back and forth and sharing mattresses are far from ideal.

“This reflects poorly on miscommunication between management and Malaysia Rugby (Union),” he said.

Marc also highlighted players were left drained due to long-haul flights.

“The flight to the Gold Coast is eight hours, players were not given a pre-ordered meal. Then their flight was delayed in Gold Coast for 12 hours before flying to Auckland, another three hours. Players were given a A$20 (RM80) voucher but airport vendors were closed. 

“So they arrive in Auckland after 23 hours exhausted and no proper meal. This is unacceptable,” he said, before blowing the lid on unequal treatment.

“Coaches seem to place foreign players on a podium. They receive RM2,500 max while locals get RM2,000. RM500 is extra compensation for being away from family. But locals too do the same,” he said.

“Salary isn’t the issue. I felt deceived. Foreigners also have more leeway. (They are) never disciplined for being late, wearing incorrect gear and deciding to train or not,” he said.