Rugby union in Singapore
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (September 2023) |
Rugby union in Singapore | |
---|---|
Country | Singapore |
Governing body | Singapore Rugby Union |
National team(s) | Singapore |
First played | Late 19th century |
Registered players | 9,400[1] |
Clubs | 13 |
International competitions | |
|
Rugby union is not a major sport in Singapore. Singapore is currently[when?] ranked 58th in the world and 6th in Asia. As of February 2015, there over 12,000 registered players,[citation needed] with more than 2,000 women playing the sport. There are also 15 formally organised clubs with 4 registered Women's sides.[1]
Club Rugby in Singapore is played in three divisions – the Premiership, the Championship, and the Conference. School Rugby is also contested over three age groups – the C division (under 14), the B division (under 17) and the A division (under 19). There are also a few schools that have a primary school-level rugby programme where they contest in the under-12 competition.
Governing body
The governing body of rugby union in Singapore is the Singapore Rugby Union (SRU), which was founded in 1966. It joined the International Rugby Football Board (now World Rugby) in 1988.[1][2]
History
The game is popular among expatriate workers from Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand – and there are at least twenty such rugby clubs founded on this basis. While there has been some take up amongst other groups, and a long-standing effort to involve Singaporeans, including by Australians Peter Randall and Andrew Blades in the mid 1990s,[2] progress in growing the game has only been gradual.
Early history
However, unlike the other colonial
Local rugby: 1970s & 1980s
1971 saw the launch of an all national U23 team made up of locals from the police force, armed forces, schools and local clubs when it played a curtain raiser game against a Malaysia U23 (which they won), to the main touring England vs Singapore Select game.
3 Locals were selected in the Singapore Select Squad to play England at Jalan Besar Stadium on 3 October 1971. Leow Kim Liat of Police Military was to captain the side, but was injured prior and was unable to play. The final score was 39–9.
The true local Singapore rugby story began in 1972 when the national team under the presidency of ASP Niaz Mohd Shah who led the charge to send a team made up of only of Singapore citizens to partake in the 3rd Asian Rugby Football Tournament in Hong Kong. The team was led by Leow Kim Liat and performed credibly with a 4th placing result.
In 1975, the Singapore National team took part in the
The national team's best season was in 1978 when they beat the Singapore-based 1st RNZIR battalion team in the semi-finals of the
For the stellar performance in 1978, the Singapore National Olympic Council awarded national sports accolades to Singapore rugby. The Singapore all-nationals team won the 1978 Team of the Year award, the Coach of the Year went to rugby coach, Natahar Bava and Sportsman of the Year went to the pack leader, Song Koon Poh. This was a "Grand Slam" achievement by the game of rugby in the history of sport in Singapore.
The MRU Cup victory feat was repeated again in 1982, and again the team was coached by Natahar Bava. Likewise, the 7s game also flourished in Singapore from 1977 to 1982. The Singapore all-nationals team played in the ever popular
1990s to 2009
Singapore rugby did not maintain the same levels of achievement into the 1990s. After a heavy defeat at the hands of Hong Kong in 1995, the SRU decided to appoint a full-time officer and four part-time development officers, and instituted a schools programme. Between 1995 and 1998, over a hundred schools took up the sport.[4]
Singapore competed in the
The
2010 onwards
The
The Singapore Sevens tournament returned as an official event within the
When Japan's Sunwolves team gained admission to the Super Rugby competition for the 2016 season, they agreed to host some of their home matches in Singapore at the National Stadium.[10]
National teams
Men
- Singapore national rugby union team – competes in the divisional tournaments of the Asia Rugby Championship
- Commonwealth Sevens
Women
- Singapore women's national rugby union team – first played in 2006, competes in the Asia Rugby Women's Championship
- Asian Women's Sevens Championship
Competitions
International events hosted
- Sevens World Seriesas of 2016.
- Singapore Cricket Club International Rugby Sevens – played since 1948
Domestic Rugby
Senior men's competitions:
- Premiership
- Championship
- Conference
Schools Rugby
Junior men's competitions are played by schools over three age groups:
- A division (under 19)
- B division (under 17)
- C division (under 14)
2019 Rugby World Cup
At the 2019 Rugby World Cup to be hosted by Japan, in addition to the nine venues located in that country, one venue each from Singapore and Hong Kong have also been proposed to host five matches respectively.[11] The Singapore Sports Hub, the successor to the National Stadium, with a capacity of 50,000, will be used for this purpose.
Singapore rugby referees
Singapore rugby referees have performed notably on the international stage, despite the small rugby playing population. They have been appointed to referee at international events like the Hong Kong Sevens, Asian Games, and the Commonwealth Games, as well as at top Asian test matches such as Hong Kong vs Japan.[12]
Notable Singaporean players
- How Wai Chew (Singapore 1971–1975) Only local Asian to have played on the wing vs England in 1971.
- Leow Kim Liat (Singapore 1970–1974, Captain 1972–1974) Captain of Singapore's first all-local citizens national team in 1972.
- Natahar Bava (Singapore 1971–1973); Singapore's Athletics Asian Games 400m medalist; most successful national rugby coach ever – coach of MRU Cup winning sides twice in 1978 & 1982 as well as Asian third place in 1978. Honoured as Singapore's Coach of the year 1978 by Singapore National Olympic Council.
- Song Koon Poh (Singapore U-23 1971; Singapore 1972–1991) Captain 1976–77, 1979–81 & 1984–87. Singapore's Sportsman of the Year 1978 (The only team player ever to have won the national Sportsman of the year award in 1978 till current time); toured South Africa with Tokkie's Dragons in 1982 (only Asian picked to tour S Africa in an invitational "rest of the world" team). Played in Singapore NZ Commanders XV vs Canterbury of NZ in 1984. One of two locals selected for Singapore Select XV v France in 1984.
- Jarmal Singh (Singapore 1974–1980, captain 1975 & 1978) Most successful Singapore captain ever in 1978.
- Andrew Chin (Singapore 1977–1988, Captain 1982) Only Singapore player to have played in the Hong Kong 7s nine times.
- Rong Jing Xiang, (Singapore 1996–2009) Captain 2004–2009, youngest player ever capped by Singapore at 16.
- Jon Lee, (Singapore 2009–present) Captain 2010–2012.
- Jay-Hykel Jln (Singapore 2013–present) First Singaporean to be selected to play for Asian Pacific Dragons in 2014 Hong Kong 10s coached by former All Black Tana Umaga.
- Reiner Leong (Singapore 2013–present) First Singaporean to play at the new Singapore National Stadium in 2014 for the Asian Pacific Dragons at the first ever World Club 10s.
- Christopher Harris (Singapore 2014–2017) Ex Scottish 7s player.
See also
References
- ^ International Rugby Board, archived from the originalon 8 October 2014, retrieved 8 October 2014.
- ^ a b c d Bath, p. 74.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-86200-013-1.
- ^ A Brief History of Singapore Rugby, Singapore Rugby Union, 2013, archived from the original on 19 October 2014.
- ^ "A Brief History". Singapore Rugby Union. 2014. Archived from the original on 26 August 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
- ^ "Eight teams in Singapore for Rugby World Club 10s". Today Online. 18 June 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
- ^ "ACT Brumbies fall short in Singapore world club 10s final after double extra time". Sydney Morning Herald. 22 June 2014. Archived from the original on 30 June 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
- ^ "Rugby: Singapore to host World Rugby Sevens Series from next year". Singapore Times. 7 April 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
- ^ "Singapore seals IRB Sevens hosting rights -- report". TEN Sport. 3 November 2014. Archived from the original on 4 April 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
- ^ "Super Rugby welcomes the Sunwolves". SANZAR. 5 October 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
- ^ RWC 2015/2019: 15 Main Topics & Venues of the Bid of Japan, Japan Rugby Football Union, 2006, archived from the original on 22 February 2012.
- ^ "SA Rugby Referees". sareferees.com. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
External links
- Official website of the Singapore Rugby Union
- Official website of the Asian Rugby Football Union
- Official website of the Singapore Cricket Club International Rugby Sevens tournament
- Official website of the Tanglin Rugby Club in Singapore
- Singapore on the L'Encyclopédie du Rugby Mondial website (in French)
- Singapore on the International Rugby Union website