Indian Rim Asian University Games 2009 - Update 2

Day 3 of IRAUG 2009 - Deo Silver Rugby 7s

SMU IRAUG 2009 - team handsign

Daniel Lee on a blowout

Sherman & Vick in training

Day 3 of the competition pitted SMU against 2 of the tournament's top sides - University of Papau New Guinea (UPNG) and Curtin University. The SMU side went into Day 3 of the competition brimming with confidence after good training sessions on Tuesday. Starting off the day with a 6am ice-bath, the team turned up at the UWA Sports Park looking fresh and ready to pull an upset over the tournament's bigger boys.

Results:

Game 4: SMU (7) vs University of Papau New Guinea (29)

Tries: Bryan Ng (1)
Conversions: Derek Chan (1)

Game 5: SMU (21) vs Curtin University (33)
Tries: Sherman Yeo (1), Derek Chan (2)
Conversions: Derek Chan (2), Bryan Ng (1)



Of Day 3, notable highlights include:

1. A relatively structured SMU side took on UPNG, which boasted 7 players of nothing but flair. After a few monster handoffs against the smaller Asian boys, the SMU side went down 4 tries to nothing before a kick downfield by flyhalf, Wang Enjian, was chased down by Bryan Ng - who duly scored SMU's only consolation try in that game.

2. SMU's prop Sherman Yeo got the game against Curtin University off to a quick start scoring early in the first half. With the ball stuck in the SMU ruck near the Curtin tryline, Sherman picked the ball up, before displaying some acrobatic skills, leaping over Daniel Lee and the entire ruck, scoring right between the sticks. The acrobatic manouveur, which apparently 'made the sunlight disappear' (Daniel Lee), put the Sherman onto the tournament score sheet for the very first time.

3. SMU scrumhalf, Derek Chan, scored twice in the game against Curtin University. The nifty sweeper made a linebreak in his own half before running the whole length of the pitch to score. The Curtin game looked set to earn SMU the title of 'Upset of the Tournament' after going up 14-0 early in the first half. However, it was not to be as Curtin staged a comeback, levelling the scores at 14-14 at halftime, and eventually marginally winning the game.

Next up, the team plays the first game on Friday morning against International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) - SMU's last match of the tournament's group stages.

Indian Rim Asian University Games 2009 - Update

Day 1 of IRAUG 2009 - Deo Silver Rugby 7s

SMU in IRAUG 2009

Results:

Game 1: SMU (24) vs NUS (12)
Tries: Bryan Ng (3), Derek Chan (1)
Conversions: Derek Chan (2)

Game 2: SMU (14) vs University of Notre Dame (17)
Tries: Bryan Ng (1), Vickneswaran Sellathurai (1)
Conversions: Derek Chan (2)

Game 3: SMU (0) vs University of Western Australia (47)

Arriving 3 days before the competition, the boys have been training hard under the watchful eye of newly-appointed Coach Hairul. After a disastrous performance at the Singapore University Games, the SMU side had much to prove especially given their talent pool. The side, which fielded a once-again-fit ex-national captain - Derek Chan (whose services were sorely missed at SUNIG 2009) and a team of all homegrown players, brought to the field a brand new structure - the result of being continuously drilled by Coach Hairul.

Of Day 1, the most notable events include:

1. SMU chalking its first win for the tournament over NUS. The SMU side got their early jitters out of the way, after going behind early in the game. A series of good runs and plays by the SMU side ensured that SMU scored 2 tries a piece in either half of the game.

2. SMU's marginal loss to the defending champions, University of Notre Dame, by a mere 3 points ranked as one of the disappointments from the SMU camp. The SMU side, left it all too late after going down 3 tries in the first half. In their fightback in the second half, a more structured and lethal SMU reared its face and from there, it was a battle against the clock and unfortunately, the SMU side came out second best.

The SMU side plays University of Papau New Guinea and Curtin University on Wednesday morning at the UWA Sports Park.

History: Do you know who the Anchor Reds are?

Sometimes people lose their way in life. And sometimes people don't realize that rugby is a great game, played by great men, amongst great friends and most importantly, played in the right spirit of the game. Over the years, I have seen many different kinds of players, and of late, I believe there has been a worrying change in the kind of talent that Singapore has been developing and the environment that has been set for our players of today to be brought up into.

Don't get me wrong. Its not that the players are not as fast or as strong as the players of the past - because with the modern game of rugby, most players of today's modern game are definitely stronger, faster, (talented? I will not be so sure about that.)

But the problem of today is that something has been SERIOUSLY lost over the years. And I am personally not sure, what it is. Looking at photos of the 90s warms my heart as I ponder of how enjoyable it must have been to be playing rugby in that era, where players were great friends on and off the pitch, who held mutual respect for one another, even if they played for different clubs. These players, who even up till today (after retirement), still remain as good pals and have so much love for the game in every goodness of it all.

Today many Singapore players and rugby fans have moaned of the many changes that Singapore rugby has had to deal with over the last decade, for example the ever changing faces of people in the top management, to people embezzling the Singapore Rugby union's funds, to a surprising resignation of a Technical Director with his bags all packed at the airport, to a local walkout protesting against preferential treatment to expatriate players, to great players being forced to retire or quit the game due to politics, to having a team with more expatriates than the previous year (with every year), to the ever changing expatriate talent that last for one season and are gone the next....Yes...the list really does go on. And in the end the people who or what suffers, is the future of Singapore rugby, where our very own talent that have been nurtured and grown in our backyard are left to wither and die, without ever being noticed or being brought to its fullest potential.

Where are the players who held so much potential in their school days?! Players who I personally witnessed and heard so much about, players like Grant Sani, Steedon Jessup, Ravi Shankar, Anil Singh, Li Rencong, John Pates!, Kenneth Lim, Tobias Ang, Anand Chandran, Tan Mian Yi, ...and this is really just to name a few off the top of my head, (and I am sure I have missed out many others,and you could probably add on). The problem about Singapore rugby, is NOT that we lack talent or even the HEART to play the game, because year after year you can see for yourself young players laying down their body and heart for their respective schools in the Nationals. The problem is we lack a system that will help us hold on to these precious unpolished jewels.

Gone are the days, where young boys in secondary school should aspire to be a national player, cause sadly they do not realize that it isn't so simple just being a National Rugby Player, especially in Singapore. With a National team squad with a 'turnover' rate that could possibly match the ongoing global economic recession, kids grow up not knowing that all these ideas of being a National Player isn't as straightforward as they imagined, nor as professional as they might have envisioned it to be.

Players of today either forget many things or grow up not having the privilege to know many things of the past of Singapore rugby- for instance, that almost more than a decade ago, there was a time

• where Singapore U16s thrashed Hongkong's U16 34-5 at Chinese High Secondary School.
• where a Singapore Under 23 side, beat a Hongkong Under 23 at Padang.
• where Greenridge Secondary School rule the National school rugby scene.
  
• where a school finals had to be decided by sudden death penalty kicks.
  
• where Thailand gave Singapore a walk over during the ARFU division 2 competition because Singapore had 4 expatriate players and refused to withdraw them. (this was after training for 11 months for it)
  

With all these totally random knowledge of events, it just shows you how rich a history we have of this beautiful game in Singapore. (and it would be a pity if you didn't know). And probably you could try to see how some of these events hold some significance to the development of the game over the years in our country.

Players of today, forget that they play the game for the love of the game, and not for the development of their own ego. Players of today, lack the mentality or the art of stringing a series of passes and celebrating a well-worked team try together.

People forget many things as they evolve as players, but as we move forward to our own ways, as players and as gentlemen of the sport, I urge that we do not forget the long history of players that have come before us, and what they have achieved, and to remember that there was a time where players of this country, played for the love of the game, and represented Singapore for the love of this country.

Hopefully, some day...things will change to what they used to be in those glory 90s.

http://smu-rugbynews.blogspot.com/2008/11/arfu-2008-can-singapore-do-it-again.html

Kong following cousin's footsteps?

It seems that the recent Eugene Wee saga has opened a can of worms, and early this morning, first-team winger Daniel Kong followed in the footsteps of his cousin by posting about his personal life on Facebook. It has since emerged that Kong has found another side to himself - declaring that he has a liking for men.


In an exclusive interview with Kong, who celebrates his 21st birthday today by skipping training, Daniel gave SMU Rugby a breakdown and intricate details of his life off the field even stating that he was 'one up on his cousin' because he 'enjoys the best of both worlds'.

When probed about the fierce intra-family rivalry between himself and Wee, Daniel said "It's a stupid question about who's better and who's not. Look at our last few games and tell me who starts. Look at my facebook profile and tell me who has more hits. Look at us when we strut around school and see who turns more heads, both guys and girls. When you look at every aspect, there is no competition."

However, it has emerged that the news has not sat well with everyone. For one, Eugene Wee was livid upon hearing the news - with our sources telling us that Wee was caught repeatedly screaming the line - "There can only be one poker in the team!!!".

Daniel Kong was signed in the summer of 2009. A former national javelin champion, Kong has since picked up the sport quickly and developed into one of the oustanding young talents of SMU Rugby. Kong has since cemented his position in the 7s first team squad and was recently called up to the IRAUG 2009 squad.

Eugene Wee Comes Clean

The truth is out!

After months of constant speculation from both fans and teammates, Eugene Wee has finally come out with the truth. In a shocking turn of events, Eugene Wee chose to make the announcement on popular social networking site - Facebook, about his relationship with fellow teammate Alvin Wong.

The last few months have seen the duo grow increasingly close, and whilst the news has shocked many, there is a handful who saw this coming. Fullback Wang Enjian told SMURugbyNews, "I knew it. It was long coming. There were times when I noticed that their tackles on each other were coated with a bit too much of a sexual touch. We all had our suspicions, and all Eugene did was make it official. I wish the duo all the best."

Our sources, who revealed the details on the condition of anonymity, said that the pair was last seen having a romantic meal at The Line, Shangri-La when the speedy winger, who recently got his fair share of media attention, popped the question. And of course, who is Alvin to reject the advances of the SSU President?

Love is in the air!

The duo becomes the first couple ever in SMU Rugby's history, breaking a long-standing tradition of no relationships between fellow players.

Punk'd - Its back to haunt u. Say No to crossdressing

In previous years, we didn't have too much problems with our players off-field conduct, as majority of our players were known to be more unassuming, humble, shy, role model...(you get the point). But of late, we have seen a growing trend in our players being caught in the limelight for all the wrong reasons. And most of the time, it happens outside of the rugby field - this week's victim is no different.

This week's claim to shame and featuring for a second time on our season of "You're an ABSOLUTE disgrace" we have our very own SMU Prop Matthias Lim.

(L to R) Matty "i am a slut" Lim, Daniel "I know what girls want" Lee. Sherman "I run 100m in 15 seconds" Yeo

Taken during last year's Freshmen Sports Camp, a group of our players were heard to be really enthusiastic about welcoming the new batch of FRESHmeat. But, from what our sources told us, some of them got really carried away. Needless to say, we think the picture tells you who really lost the plot.

Our verdict: "Matty, Matty...what!were you thinking mate!?

Head Coach Releases Autobiography

SMU Head Coach, Rong Jing Xiang, officially released his very own autobiography entitled Two Rongs Don't Make A Right. The story of Singapore's most capped player has been a highly anticipated event within the rugby community - after the former national captain promised to spill it all.

Our sources tell us that Rong will talk about his love-hate relationship with the Singapore Rugby Union, his excessive indulgence in personal soliloquy on the rugby blog as well as his personal emotions after his heart-breaking loss coaching the City Boys. With a career spanning a gabillion years, Rong talks about the highs and lows of his rugby career.

In a special press interview, Rong told SMURugbyNews - "I've always wanted to be a writer and I knew I had it in me to write fancy prose and charm the socks off my adoring fans. There was a time when it was between being a poet and being a rugby player. But that's history. I am what I am today and now it's time I got back to doing the other things I love."

Two Rongs Don't Make A Right is currently retailed at all major bookstores. Should you wish to get an autographed copy, Rong will be at Borders (Wheelock) for a special autograph signing session.

The Prodigal Son Returns

Eugene Wee returns home, finally.

Scouted and signed 2 years ago, Eugene Wee is finally paying dividends in the faith and belief that the coaching panel placed in him. The former ACS winger had previously decided to hang up his boots, citing that he has had 'enough rugby to last him for a lifetime'. Back then, the speedster broke the hearts of many of his adoring fans - especially those who were desperately waiting to see him don SMU colours for the senior side - hanging up rugby boots to play handball.(wtf!)

Labelled as a 'bad-boy' and 'want-away' in 2008, Wee announced his return in the summer of 2009 citing a 'desire for some rough manly action'. When probed about the possibility of Wee breaking into the first team, Coach Hairul said, "Yes, it is a possibility. But Eugene spent a year away engulfed in a life of excessive sex, booze and drugs. It will take a while for us to get him back into shape. The lad has loads of talent but we need to work on his fitness issues."

Eugene who featured in SUNIG 2009 still displayed the same wicked speed that tormented sides back in his day - an amazing feat considering being out of training for so long. When probed about the secret to his speed, Eugene said 'A wank a day makes me fly away!'.

Wee was recently called up for the IRAUG 2009 senior side.

Mouth Chew rumoured to hang up his boots

Yin Xiang axed from the IRAUG squad despite almost a full attendance in trainings

After announcing the squad for this year's India Rim Australia University Games (IRAUG), it has come to the attention of many onlookers of the surprise omission of veteran and dedicated Mouth Chew (real name Yin Xiang). While selectors clearly had a difficult decision in weighing between factors such as commitment in training, playing ability and experience, last year's vice-president had to be on the receiving end of being axe from the squad. Hence, preventing the year 3 student from making his 2nd successive appearance in the IRAUG.

It is rumored that the utility player was clearly disappointed, but accepted with grace that he empathized with the committee's difficult position in terms of selecting the squad for the tournament. However, the player hinted that the recent axe from the squad might be a blow that could lead to the calls of hanging up his boots for good.

In his time in SMUrugby, the lad has clearly contributed his fair share of hard yards for the club and has given nothing less than his best for the team (on and off the field), and certainly will be a loss should he not see out his 4 year contract with the City Boys.

Ryan Jerseys Fly Off Shelves!

SMURugby's new kid on the block, Ryan 'Cold-sore' Tan, will soon be seeing many other little cold sores running around. The club's retail outlet saw Ryan's jerseys fly off the shelves, with many fans signaling their support for the former Raffles flanker.

Club merchandising officer, Gao Shen, said, "The shelves are empty! We never expected to see so many jerseys disappear, but it seems many people have taken a liking to the new kid. You might be interested to know that ever since we signed Ryan, we have managed to see a surge in "Cold-Sore Stickers (Ryan Tan Edition)" in the same month. Seems like more and more people want to not just play, but also look like him!"

Cold-Sore Stickers (Ryan Tan Edition) - U.P. $8.99

Ryan was signed in the summer of 2009 and made his debut for the senior side in the recent Singapore University Games, and has since been called up for the Indian Rim Asian University Games. The former Raffles Institution vice-captain had been singled out by out for his good work ethic and sterling performances by the coaching panel, with some believing that he will soon play a big part in the upcoming tournaments.

The player, who was recognized by his distinctive butt ugly looking cold-sore in his last competitive outing - earning the nickname 'Cold Sore', was not available for comment at the time of press.

Club captain gets warned for unruly behaviour

The centre of discussion on Derek's facebook page

SMURugby has issued a statement indicating its disapproval of club captain, Derek Chan's less-than-satisfactory behaviour. The National-7s player was caught discussing sexual positions (specifically 'Angry Pirate') on popular social networking site - facebook, and has since been the centre of unwanted public attention.

Coach Hairul said, "I understand when the boys want to have some fun, but this behaviour is far from acceptable, especially for the captain of my squad. There are many roles to the captain and being a role model was one of them. I expected more from Derek (Chan)."

Derek's unruly ways comes on the back of being named as captain of the IRAUG Squad and while Derek has been outstanding on the field, he has been known for his wild party ways which have occasionally got him into trouble. Derek has since apologized to the squad for his unruly behaviour.

Derek becomes the first captain since DMC to be warned for improper conduct off the field.

IRAUG Squad announced

This morning, SMU Rugby's newly appointed head coach, Hairul, announced the squad for the Indian-Rim Asian University Games 2009. The club congratulates all players selected.

IRAUG squad to be announced soon

Still recovering from the disappointing performance by the SMU team last month, the team has ever seen regathered and have been working hard to get back to shape. Finishing 3rd in the SUNIG 7s was clearly unacceptable to the club's standards and President and Captain Derek Chan has vowed to make amends and hopes to successfully defend the 15s title.

However, the club's primary focus for now is to concentrate on a good preparation for the upcoming 7s tournament in Perth this December. The club will be sending a total of about 12 players to compete in the tournament and will hopefully do one better than the previous team that represented SMU 2 years ago, who finished 4th.

the team that represented SMU in 2007 in Perth.
Out of the 12 in the squad, 9 of the players have either left the club or will not be available for selection this year, leaving 3 players from the squad of 2007 who might be making their second appearance in the IRAUG.

The team is currently being coached by newly signed , Hairul Naim, who has said to be pushing the boys through the paces and picking up where former SMU coach Rong left off. The team of 12 that will be representing SMU in Perth will be announced in the coming weeks.

Ben Wai gets slapped with club fine

Over a month ago Benjamin Wai pledged his life to SMUrugby blog, however, ever since then the former ACJC sprinter has only accounted for 2 posts on the blog and is suspected to be just a "flash in the pan". His lack of posts on the blog has led to the Board of Directors (of the blog and club) calling for a vote of confidence and has caused huge uproar and displeasure among the fans and refreshers of SMUrugby.

The winger, who had his first competitive outing for the City Boys in the SUniG 7s this year has been under intense scrutiny of his performance on the field and on the blog. "He has a lot of potential, but some thing has happened to Ben and he has fallen by the wayside, we need to sort this out and make sure his mind and body is one with SMUrugby!" said one of the directors who declined to be named.

Ben Wai has been slapped with a club fine for a lack of commitment to the blog, however, no one really knows what the penalty is. When asked about the nature of the fine, the disciplinary committee could only reveal, "Ben will have to beware of himself as we take this very seriously."

Ben Wai will not be allowed to appeal against the fine and will be strongly advised to start posting.

Wai, could not be contacted for comment during the time of press release.

NUS wins SuNIG 7s

Last week in the inaugural SUNIG 7s, the City Boys were in for a shocking 3rd finish, as they crashed out in disastrous fashion. The signs could not be any clearer when the SMU A side lost to NUS B in the group stages, 17-22.

This year, NUS was definitely out for blood and was looking for nothing but sweet revenge after suffering a narrow defeat in last year's SUNIG 7s finals to the City Boys. And in the end, when the two A teams met in the semi finals, it was like a deja vu of what happened in 2007 when the two teams met in the SMU ringEmail 7s semi-finals. SMU were off to a confident and flying start scoring two tries in the first half and leading by a score of 10-0 against NUS, which have lately been coined to be known as the Clementi Pretenders. However, NUS had other ideas and staged an impressive comeback and sealed their place in the finals by establishing yet another successful come back (but this time with no controversies, like we had 2 years ago), winning by a score of 12-10 and denying SMU any hopes of defending their 7s title.

The Clementi Pretenders went on to meet the exciting and impressive underdogs, NTU. And the finals turned out to be yet another comeback story, with NUS having to dig deep and come back from behind to win the tournament 26-14.

The tournament has shown how closely matched the 3 universities are, and probably there might be a slight hint that this season might see the "fall" of the Golden Era for SMU. The team has been in nothing but a shell-shock state and will be looking to pick up the pieces. This tournament paints a very interesting story for next year when the teams meet for the 3rd Tri-Univerisities 15 a side Rugby Championships.

Meanwhile, the SMU team has wasted no time to mourn and has been reported to be back in the training camp and looking forward to sort out the problems within the team and prepare themselves for the next challenge, the India Rim Australia University Games in Australia this December.

Come on down to support us

"Cause if you ain't first, you're last."

Ricky Bobby

SUNIG 7s preview

Tomorrow is marked as the biggest rugby tournament for all Universities this term, the Singapore Universities Games Rugby 7s will be held over the weekend for the second time in history. After being omitted from the previously established IVP games, which included polytechnics, the Singapore Universities Sports Council decided to hold their own competition, hence the birth of SUNIG few years ago.

During this weekend, we will see if defending champions SMU will be able to silence the critics and successfully defend their title like they have with the Tri Uni 15s tournament. They will be looking to complete the much prestigious double (7s & 15s title) to cement their place as the top university rugby team in Singapore again this year. The team has undergone many changes since the last tournament and has been constantly reminded that the loss of the former batch of senior players will be difficult to replace and emulate. In fact, this will be SMU's first official tournament without the players from the graduated 'Class of 09s'. While the pressure is on the new team, the team promises to deliver as Captain Derek Chan is upbeat about his chances of defending the 7s crown.

SMU will be looking to show off some of their new talents, with the likes of freshman speedster Daniel Kong, who will be looking to provide some prolific finishing and Benjamin Wai who has began to stake a serious claim for a first team place in the City boys. The team on paper looks impressive, with each player recording an average of 12.00 seconds for the 100m. (bearing in mind an outlier result of prop Sherman Yeo, who completes the century in about 30 seconds). The team is said to be made out of a list of speedsters and will certainly look to "gas & smash" their way through to the finals.

NUS on the other hand will be led out by Captain Firas, who will love to share the spoils and provide an upset for the defending champions. The NUS side will be looking rather "foreign", with almost 3-4 international exchange students making a first team appearance. They are speculated to be from either France, Canada, South Africa, NZ, Fiji, South Africa..... (YOU NAME IT THEY HAVE IT. well honestly, we are not too sure where they are from, but in any case, there are about 4 of them). In terms of the locals for the side, the team will feature a host of former Anglo Chinese School boys, like Shafiq Zulazmi, Justin Koh, Leow Wei Xiong and Loh Wei Liang. Another player who will also be featured in the side is Singapore Idol wannabe Ian Choo, who promises to sing some tunes during the tournament interval break.

Next, we have the Boon Lay Warriors, who once again are often an unknown force, only because they are located in the most obscure location in Singapore. However, not to be underestimated, the sides is going to be led out by Sidney Kumar who has recently burst into the National rugby scene in Singapore. He will be accompanied by the likes of talented rockstar-looking, Xue Ren Han, "SMU-snubber" Joel Leong and "Fake Ang moh" Peter Walker. The Warriors, will certainly be a team to watch out for.

Finally, we have SIM. The team will be captained by National player, Jon Lee. The team is mostly unknown to me! Except for Eugene Rong and former AC scrumhalf-who-now-looks-more-like-a-prop, Sugyanto who are listed to be representing SIM. It will be interesting to see what SIM can pull off, as I am sure they will like to improve their performance from the last SUNIG.

Well thats our wrap on the upcoming SUNIG, we hope you guys get down to catch the action...and to see who will be crown this year's SUNIG champions!

Coach Rong in doubt once again

The speculations on Coach Rong's contract has been constantly hogging the headlines on our blog this season. And this week is no different. With 2 weeks out into the universities' biggest tournament for the term (Singapore University Games 7s), the current SMU coach has been rumored once again to be leaving the club at the end of the season.

Rong who apparently hasn't receive any of the 77 virgins that were promised to him in his contract, has expressed doubts on his availability to see out his contract till the end of the year. The ex-ACS rugby player told SMUrugby-news, "For personal reasons, I may not be able to see through my contract and join the boys up in Australia for the India Rim Games."

The City Boys' Sports officer, Andrew Aaron Tam could not be contacted during the time of press release.

Rumors has it, one candidate waiting in line to snap up the prestigous job could be former national scrumhalf and SCC player, Hairul Naim.

SMU Logistics unveils new innovation!

SMU's new patented product - BlowIt

In the build up to the 2009 Singapore University Games, SMU's very own research and development arm headed by Gerald Fok unveiled their very new creation - a dildo looking whistle - at yesterday's training session. The new invention, which qualified for patent protection under the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore last week, looks to revolutionalize the refeereeing world and it seems that there has already been agreement that the new whistle will be used at SUNIG in October.

The new invention, affectionately known as BlowIt, had been kept under wraps with only key members of the research team and President Derek Chan aware of this new invention. In the short but succinct press conference held, President Chan said that 'the invention was a huge step forward especially as SMU Rugby looks to influence every aspect of the rugby circuit - including refeereeing'.
Head researcher and logistics chief, Gerald Fok, also hailed the new development as ground-breaking and gave credit to the high aesthetic value of the new achievement.

Coach Rong gave BlowIt its debut during SMU's internal games and had nothing but praise for the new tool in his mouth, even going as far to say that 'the blowing's just fine!' However, it seems that some parts of the SMU camp were voicing their concerns over the new invention. A key personnel in the developmental team, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, highlighted the dangers of the new invention - "With the new design, it seems that referees are going to be more inclined to blow prematurely or even at any given opportunity! In addition, we need to send out a clear message to the public that despite the mean look of the whistle, it should only be reserved for blowing purposes."

BlowIt will be available at all major retail sporting outlets by end September.

SMU Rugby clinches deal with EA Sports

An artist impression of the new Rugby 08

On Wednesday night, the City Boys clinched a new deal with EA Sports to co produce an SMU version of Rugby 08. The new deal, which was signed at an undisclosed fee, promised to be sufficient for Coach Rong to continue his recruiting ways in the coming season. EA Sports had previously approached the management with the proposal after watching a few scintillating performances put up by the City Boys.

In an exclusive interview with Coach Rong, he had this to say. "The boys were all very excited about who was going to be on the cover. Traditionally the SMU-Rugby 08 cover would be given to the most prominent player that represents us both on and off the field. In the weeks leading up to the selection, there was healthy competition between our boys. We only pick the very best even though we had many candidates, and we hope that all players will respect our final decision."

Rumour has it that in the running for favourite to grace the cover is first-team prop, Matthias Lim. The fitness maestro was recently called up to the Singapore A side after putting up some outstanding performances especially in the Tournoi Des 5 Ballons where he took his Spanish opposition for a dance before burning him senseless.

Bryan taking off his shirt, determined to prove a point

The apparent selection of Matthias for the Rugby 08 Cover has, however, not sat well with everyone in the team. For one, current Vice-President and the 2008 bad boy of Singapore Rugby, Bryan Ng, was not shy in expressing his unhappiness. When interviewed and asked why he felt he should have been picked, Bryan stared us down before lifting his shirt and declaring he had 8 good reasons. It seems that Bryan's defiant ways in not respecting the management's decision will not sit well with both Coach Rong and newly appointed President Derek Chan. Will there be strife amongst the City Boys? And what effect will this have on their preparations for the upcoming SUNIG? Only time will tell.

Ben Wai pledges to keep SMUrugby blog alive!

In the latest news in SMUrugby, last season's Most Dedicated Player of the Year, Benjamin Wai has recently accepted the challenge to take upon an editorial role on SMU's highly refreshed blog at SMUrugby News.

The former track and field athlete admitted he was nervous yet excited at the prospects of being the latest addition to the team of elite writers. He said, "its a huge responsibility, i will do my best to entertain the millions and MILLIONS! of fans out there." He also said that one of his objectives upon coming on board is to satisfy the many anonymous fans' requests of putting up more photos of both winger Bryan Ng and prop Matthias Lim on the blog - half or if not totally naked! (Whether these anonymous fans are male or female - it can't be verified.)

Nevertheless and more importantly, with the new inclusion of Ben Wai, SMUrugby news promises to fill you with more spills on what goes on in the SMUrugby team...and we will be expecting to to get more "refresher-wannabes" coming back for more.

SMU signs a deal with University Western Australia

We are happy to announce that SMU has signed a Sports MOU with the University of Western Australia (UWA) last Friday, 4th of September at Campus Green.

"This is the first ever Sports MOU that SMU and UWA will be signing with an overseas University. We are very confident that with the signing of the MOU, SMU sports and adventure will be given another boost and will take us to another level of development for our student athletes and leaders. The MOU will provide our students with more opportunities for skills learning and improving our overall standard of sports and adventure in SMU." Said SMU Sports Officer Andrew Aaron Tam.

Professor George Stewart, Dean of the Faculty of Life and Physical Sciences and Director of International Strategy, South East Asia represented UWA at the signing ceremony while the SMU President,Howard Hunter and Dean of Student life, Prof Low Aik Meng, represented SMU in the signing ceremony.

In addition, the school secured a Sports Award from Teamlink Marketing Pte Ltd, who will contribute $6,000 a year for 2 years to help defray cost for students selected for training, courses and internships under the MOU with UWA. A cheque of $12,000 will be presented to SMU after the signing of the MOU.

Good Runout for City Boys at Blacks Midnight 10s

While the Springboks maintained their 100% Tri-Nations record this season with a commanding display of attacking rugby and stifling defence at the Subiaco Oval over the weekend, some of our City Boys turned out for their respective clubs and had a good runout at the Blacks Midnight 10s.

Half of SMU's representatives such as Jed Ong and company turned out for the ACS Old Boys Rugby team whereas the other half of them such as ex-SMU skipper Amos Siow and Project Superstar Justin Lum represented Red Dot Rebels. Both clubs churned out fine performances in the grueling two day tournament. The above mentioned were not the only City Boys who played over the weekend, our ever hardworking forward Vickneswaran Sellathurai, elevated to the current Singapore 7s squad a few months back, represented Bucks Rugby Club too.

Match of the Day: ACS OBA versus Red Dot Rebels

The highlight of the tournament was the duel between Red Dot Rebels and ACS Old Boys Rugby in the group stage in Day 1 where our SMU team mates battled against each other. Adding spice to the battle was the duel between SMU rugby members Melvin Teo aka Cheeky/Jaa-Bro (ACS OBA) and Bryan Ng (Red Dot Rebels), who played on the wing for their sides. And SMUrugby veterans Daniel 'Ramone' Lee (ACS OBA) and Mouth Chew (ACS OBA) were also out to boost their chances of selection for next month's SUniG 7s after returning from their international break during the summer.

There was no love loss between SMU boys when they turned out for their respective clubs in a match that was marked by bone crunching tackles and powerful running. Red Dot Rebels eventually hung on to a 5-0 win. The result could have gone against Red Dot Rebals had a 50m drop kick attempted by former ACS(I) rugby star Blandon Tan (who will be unveiled to SMU fans next season after agreeing to a 4 year deal for a undisclosed fee) not gone wide. With the game heading to a draw, Red Dot Rebels managed to score with the last play of the game through our very own Amos Siow.

Justin Lum and Bryan Ng gave fine performances for Red Dot Rebels

Despite being knocked out in the playoffs in Day 2 by Blacks Magic, ACS OBA ended their first rugby outing with committed performances on the field. They managed to churn out a victory against Fars Rugby Club (the Iranian champions in 15s and 7s) with a convincing 13-0 victory. ACSOBR's first foray into competitive 10's rugby after a 15 year absence has set a new marker on where they stand on the local club rugby scene. Likewise, Red Dot Rebels - a team that has been making for itself a name in the local and regional rugby scene in recent years lived up to its reputation by coming in as Bowl Champions.

Current Vice-President EJ & soon to be SMU player Blandon Tan in action against the Iranians

With such fine performances churned out by our City Boys during the action-packed weekend, the SMUrugby selectors will be without a doubt licking their lips over the array of talent they have at their disposal for the upcoming season.

SMUrugby not participating in the Blacks Midnight 10s 2009

Jed Ong (left), former national swimmer, looking to make an impact for the ACS OBA

This year is the first year in the past 3 years that SMU will not participate in the Blacks Midnight 10s. After winning the Bowl tournament in 2007 and 2008, the 2008 defending champions have opted to pull out from the tournament and concentrate on rebuilding their squad and gear up for the biggest university tournament of the year, the SuNIG 7s.

Nevertheless, the omission from the tournament has provided SMUrugby players to play for their respective clubs, as President Derek Chan gave the green light to players to participate in the yearly tournament.

Ben Wai, looking to get match time with ACSOBA

Players such as En Jian, Jed Ong, Mouth Chew, Ben Wai, Cheeky aka Melvin Teo and Daniel Lee will be featuring for the ACS OBA team. This will be the first time the ACS OBA will be participating in this tournament and playing in a competitive tournament since 11 years. The team will also have the likes of former ACS boy and NTU forward, Yik Thai Hoe who will certainly play an integral role in the team

Bryan Ng will be looking to keep his try scoring habits for the Red Dot Rebels

Other SMU players featuring in this tournament will be Justin Lum, Bryan Ng and Amos Siow who will all be playing for the Red Dot Rebels. The team will be full of many local talents, including former SMU captain, Daniel Marc Chow and Alex Chew. Also featuring in the squad will be former NUS centre A'srie, who is making his first competitive appearance since a career ending injury last year, and current NUS utility player, Valmiki C Nair. This squad will certainly look like an interesting team to watch out for.

So if you are interested do hop on down to catch our boys in action head on down to the Blacks Midnight 10s at SPE tonight.

Rongy to coach SMU for life?

Last night at the City Boys' training ground, the boys who usually have trainings on Wednesdays’ nights at the underground concourse were told to give way for the SMU cheerleading team. It was reported that they was a bit of Argie Bargie going on between SMUrugby’s representative and the SMU cheerleading captain (some chick), but eventually the rugby boys (being the gentlemen that they are) gave in and resorted to training at an open space outside the school library in the DARK!

Rumor has it, a deal was struck with the cheerleading team, but the conditions of agreement for the use of the training ground were undisclosed. However, whatever the conditions were, it certainly left a lot of the City boys grinning from ear to ear when they were told to relocate to the random space outside the library. Strange, but it’s true.

Rumor has it: En Jian (EJ), Vice president of SMUrugby was the one who negotiated the 'deal' with the cheerleading girls?

The training was said to be somewhat productive as players ran around blindly in the dark. Coach Rong described the session to be one requiring high levels of awareness and good handling skills, something which apparently the City Boys weren’t very good at.

However, the training in the dark last night played little significance to the tension that has been surrounding the speculation of Coach Rong leaving, especially after having signed a new contract till the end of the year. The ‘has-been’, the forgotten, the 45-caps former Singapore captain said, “the speculations of being offered a job by a mysterious source for an undisclosed fee is true. The money they were offering was good, but after consulting my agent and talking to a few friends, I have made the decision to stay.” The legendary forward who suffers from two bad knees and who constantly walks with a chronic limp shared that from this latest episode he has discovered that his heart lies with SMU, the place where he calls his “HOOD”.

The board that spoke to him were visibly relieved by the news, but told the media that Rong has requested that the terms and conditions that he signed for in his latest contract be reviewed immediately. Apparently, during the time of agreement the 29-year-old coach was promised 77 SMU virgins as a win bonus, should he help SMU to successfully defend their SuNIG 7s’ crown in October. The finance officer of SMUrugby told us, “the man is now asking for 300!”

The board will hold another meeting with regards to reviewing coach Rong’s contract and will see if his request be viewed reasonable or not. But for now, the City Boys are glad to know that they will still have a coach with them for the next 6 months of their season.

Coach RONG to leave prematurely?!?!

Late last night, SMU City Boys received shocking rumors that Coach Rong Jing Xiang might be set to leave the club. The coach who recently signed a newly extended contract in July has been linked to a lucrative move to a mysterious job for an undisclosed fee.

The news came as a shock as the coach had only signed a new 6 months contract and had pledged to stay with the City Boys till the end of the year. When President Derek Chan was interviewed, he said, “We can’t confirm the validity of these rumors…” The new SMUrugby president who just assumed the leadership role added he has arranged for an emergency board meeting and has requested Coach Rong to have a word with the board.

Derek Chan aka D.Chan told SMUrugby news, “Should Rong choose to leave we will respect the decision, but for now, we will take things one step at a time and see what is the situation.”

The announcement of such news has posed a threat to the team’s current progress and preparation for the upcoming SuNiG 7s which is set to take place on the 3rd & 4th October.

Meanwhile, the Wednesday’s training (26th August) is said to be as-per-normal despite the rumors. In addition, Coach Rong has indicated that he will certainly be present and will be looking forward to the 25-odd players squad to turn up in full force at the Concourse (underground).

Could this be the last training for Coach Rong? Will Coach Rong leave? Will the departure of Coach Rong, mark the downfall of SMU’s reign as the #1 Rugby University in Singapore?

Stay tuned, as we will give you the latest on SMUrugby News

Insider news: Rumor has it, Uncle Wei Nurn might be eyeing on the coaching job!!!

Fullback quitting rugby to start feasting club?

After being largely anonymous last season and announcing his informal retirement from the game, the man they called "The Ong" made a surprise appearance during SMU's last training on Friday, at their latest new training ground at Kallang.

The man who recently lost his starting position to Wang En Jian was looking relaxed and cool about his 'shocking appearance'. He said, "I am just here for a work out. Nothing more to it." He dispelled all rumors that he might be gearing up to play for the upcoming SuNiG 7s and insisted he will like the media to leave him in peace.

Off the field, the star fullback is rumoured to have been operating a club of his own on the City Campus, called "The Feasting Club". Apparently, the club which began just 6 months ago was formerly headed by ex-City Boy, Lionel "Robber" Poh. However, after Poh's semi-retirement from the rugby scene and an expired contract with the City Boys, the leadership role has fallen upon Alex Ong's shoulders to lead the charge in having massive feasting all through the days.

The Feasting President Ong, is said to be recruiting more members for his club, which has currently 2 members remaining since the departure of Poh. The other member being current SMUrugby President Derek Chan. The duo are said to hold club meetings around Waterloo street during lunch-time.

When questioned about the existence of the Feasting Club, Alex Ong replied, "Be there or be square."

Tough challenges lie ahead of SMUrugby

Its been a long time since we last “refreshed” our much beloved blog, which is coincidentally looking to surpass the total viewership of NTU’s blog really soon. ..So in order to achieve that and feed all you hungry readers out there…we are back once more with the new and latest juice and spills of what goes on in the university rugby scene and in particular, the City Boys.

After an impressive season that saw SMUrugby successfully defending their Tri-Unis title, 2008 President Sherman Yeo stepped down to allow the newly-appointed President, Derek Chan to assume the honors and bring SMU forward in the competitions and challenges ahead.

Upon assuming the new leadership role, President Derek Chan wasted no time by firstly renewing the coaching contract of Coach Rong Jing Xiang for yet another term. When interviewed with SMUrugby news, the coach who led the team to it’s second Tri-Universities Crown was elated. He said, “I am looking forward to working with the boys, they are a great bunch with lots of talent.”

The first challenge for Coach Rong is to defend SMU’s SuNIG 7s’ Crown, a challenge that has left many pundits and critics speaking of how this could be a tough test for Rong and his boys. The former Singapore Captain has to deal with a squad that has suffered a significant depletion ever since key players such as Daniel Marc Chow, Desmond Wee, Lorenzo, Weiming, Alex Chew and Lionel Poh, have all left the team on free transfer.

Speaking to Coach Rong after his 1st official training for the 2009/2010 season with the City Boys at the City Campus underground concourse on Wednesday, Coach Rong said, “The players that left us were certainly a tough act to follow, but I believe that the current squad of players have what it takes to step up to the plate and fill the big shoes. We just need to work on gelling the team together and work with the new boys who have come in this year.”

Despite appearing confident in his replies throughout his interview, Coach Rong did drop hints on his concerns for how the boys might fare next season for the Tri-Unis 15-a-side Championship, saying that while he is confident for the coming SuNiG 7s, he admits there will be a lot more work needing to be done when the 15 a side season starts.

But in his words, “It’s going to be a challenge, but I like challenges and I believe the City Boys will be up for it when the time comes.”

Only time will tell.

More from SMUrugby's France Tour

to Elisha Chng (1985 - 2009)

To an amazing, athletic and wonderful lad.

Elisha Chng was a great person on and off the rugby field.

You will always be remembered.

My deepest and un-expressionable condolences to all his loved ones and friends.

till we meet again...elisha.

SMU Rugby's Formal Player Awards for the 08/09 Season

In April this year SMURugby once again hosted their Annual General Meeting to usher in the new Exco as well as to recognize the contributions of their players throughout the season. In the absence of the regular Emo-Speech IC, Amos Siow, Senior Player Alex Chew and out-going Vice-President Mouff led the Awards Ceremony to commemorate the greatest distinctions and disgraces of the 08/09 campaign.

Most Consistent/All-rounded Player Award

Wang En Jian

The award for the most consistent and all-rounded player went to SMU’s fullback for the Tri-Uni’s 09 Season for his conscientious and consistently safe stewardship of the SMU half of the pitch.

Most Dedicated Player Award

Benjamin Wai

Ben Wai’s continuous undying dedication to the team at every training and his impeccable attendance record were matched only by the winner of the next award.

Most Hardworking Player Award

Gerald Fok

Gerald’s solid work ethic in trainings was firmly proven when the SMU forward went on to match some of the fittest in the team at a blip test session, cementing his place as our most hardworking counterpart.

Most Improved Player Award

Tafadzwa Marasha

Tafa, the famous brudder of the Tri-Uni’s squad has come a long way this season, a personal highlight of which will no doubt be his match-turning try scored from a penalty kick gone wrong against NUS in what could be said to be this season’s point of peripetia.

Most Promising Player Award

Nicolas Hwang

The man informally known as The Panzer has shown repeated flashes of brilliance on the field in this year’s season, making his mark as the player to watch in SMU’s already star-studded backline.

Best Newcomer Award

Melvin Teo

In the short time that we have known him, Melvin a.k.a. Cheeky has truly proven his worth to the team often exceeding expectations and astounding his peers with his on-field performance. For that he was crowned the award reserved for the most valuable addition to the SMU lineup.

Best Forward of the Tri-Uni’s 09

Vickneswaran Sellathurai

Vick stepped up to the mark this season, captaining a memorable match where he rallied his forwards against an unexpected and brutal NTU forward onslaught that saw our City Boys bunkered a mere couple of desperate inches from their own try line. His contributions to the team as a forward have been invaluable and as we bid farewell to SMU’s longtime forward bastion of strength Daniel Marc Chow, perhaps this is the player all spectators ought to set their sights on in the seasons to come.

Best Back of the Tri-Uni’s 09

Justin Lum

Yes, it may come as a shock to many, but Justin Lum is in fact a player in SMU. Though public appearances by this long missed Rugby celeb are now rare since his knee injury where in his words “my knee shattered into a million pieces”, Justin Lum showed up when his team needed his services most, and did he show up in style. Single-handedly destroying opposition scrum-halves to earn back good SMU ball possession and then putting the nail in the coffin to secure spectacular and critical game-winning tries, Justin Lum despite his dismal attendance record has earned this award with his unarguably critical on-field performance for his team.

Top Try Scorer of the Tri-Uni’s 09

Bryan Ng

Despite the many controversies surrounding him, the number of times Bryan has crossed the line this season is rivaled only by the number of abs Bryan has under his easily removed shirt. Nuff said.

Best Back of the 08/09 Season

Alexander Chew

Alex came into this season as a man with a mission, proving his worth to the team time and time again with his strong, surging counter-attacking runs that gained the City Boys valuable time and territory both in defence as well as attack. Desmond Wee has cited Alex as one the top wingers in Singapore, and who are we to disagree with Desmond.

Best Forward of the 08/09 Season

Daniel Marc Chow

DMC needs no introduction. Once again the man has dug deep to contribute the “hard yards” both on and off the field for his teammates. Returning from an appendicitis operation to immediately hit the field to defend the championship side by side with his fellow forwards, Daniel Marc Chow showed no slack to the opposition to put on a solid showing as the most dependable and valuable forward the team has to offer.

Best Player of the 08/09 Season

Derek Chan

This coveted highest accolade is awarded only to players who bring the team to new heights not only in terms of individual contributions but also as a playmaker who sets the team on the road to victory. The decision for this season was unanimous. Derek has truly proven to the SMU club management that his multi-million dollar signing was worth every cent in the check. His contribution to the team in offence when running the ball and in defence when making the tackles count has earned him this award as the most valuable asset to the SMU team.

Stay tuned to SMU Rugby News as we usher in the new exco and look to begin an exciting new wave of transfer signings and million dollar deal player contracts in preparation for the fresh 09/10 season. More news soon to come.