The Players' SMU Rugby XV

Yes, it is long overdue
Yes, it is finally here
Yes, you asked for it AND Singapore, this is your Players' SMU Rugby XV.
(As previously mentioned, since we havent got the cloning technology, players who received top votes in more than one position will be named for the spot in which they received the most votes in. The player who came in 2nd will be named for the other position. Since we relish transparency, in all places where the 2nd fave is listed, the top fave will be listed in brackets. )

ARE YOU READY!!!!

1	Vickneswaran S/O Sellathurai		53.4%
2	Chong Wei Nurn		46.0%
3	Sherman Yeo		65.7%
4	Joel Leong		50.7%
5	Lim Wei Ming (Tied with DMC)		29.4%
6	Lionel Poh		30.4%
7	Benjamin Teong		27.9%
8	Big Daddy DMC		60.0%
9	Josiah Goh		78.1%
10	Amos Siow		42.9%
11	Ruzaini Zani		47.0%
12	Muhammad Nasiruddin (Desmond Wee 28.6%, Alex Chew 24.3%)		20.0%
13	Desmond Wee		39.4%
14	Alex Chew (Ruzaini Sani)		25.8%
15	Alex Ong		84.1%

The star of the show is Alex Ong, SMU's most influential player, who showed clear majority at 84.1%. Then again, his opponent was Amos.

Then of course you would have noticed Alex Chew is the ultimate number 2, he was second most popular in all the positions he played this yr.

On other news, Alex Chew was seen outside Pick&Bite earlier today trying to download porn from his fellow clan member Mouth Chew's external hard disk. Sources revealed that his state of excitement over the new found treasure, Alex accidently opened all the videos insted of "Drag Dropping" them into his newly created folder. Horny Boy=Stupid Boy.

The Animal turns 24 - Shen Sijie

At SMUrugby, we like to take some time off our busy "mugging" schedule to send our birthday wishes to the team's favourite and most 'jack-able' Shen Sijie aka The Animal.

The animal as he would prefer to be known, is arguably one of the blurrest, most forgetful, most foolish, most careless and most ill disciplined player on the rugby field. To illustrate, the flanker was top on the count for Most Penalties conceded this season. He is almost late for all trainings and most likely to reach to a match venue late for warm up and find that he either forgot to bring his shorts or his boots. With a blur face written all over his face, it doesn't help the lad that he is regarded as one of the 'dirt-iest' player in Singapore Rugby history. As fellow course and team-mate Alex Ong once commented, "Sijie is the kind of guy, who looks dirty even if he BATHES!" His unusual antics of playing rugby matches in boxers has left many of his team-mates frowning and speechless.

In other news on the Animal, it is reported that he has lost his laptop for a 4th consecutive time!Previously, the latter was fortunate to retrieve it from the toilet or from the lost and found counter. But this time round, while exams, projects and term papers are round the corner, his beloved laptop is no where to be found.

On behalf of the animal, we plead to the public to take some time off from the hunt of Mas Selamat, instead! if you should spot a Sony Vaio Laptop lying some where around in school unattended, please do not hesitate to call the animal ALSO KNOWN as the Beast.

Nevertheless, apart from all the 'jacking' and critics, SMUrugby wish to extend our birthday wishes to our dearest (pick one) "Animal/Beast/Wolverine/Logan" Shen Sijie

Happy 24th Birthday.

Part 2 Behind Closed Doors - Wednesdays Underground

In our Part 2 on Behind Closed Doors, we bring you through our Wednesdays trainings. Trainings are scheduled to be at 7pm, but by the time every one waltzes in and does their usual shenanigans, we end up starting at 7.30pm. One thing we never mention about the SMUrugby team is that the whole team is in a different time zone. The team which is well known to be poor with punctuality, functions with a +30minutes or more to all schedule times.

What do we mean?

To elaborate here are a few examples and scenarios.

1. If the Captain wanted to start training at 7.30pm, he would have to tell his team that training starts at 7.00pm.

2. If the Captain wanted to start warm up on game time at 4pm. He would have to tell his team to come down at 2.30pm to give time for +30 minutes buffer and for an hour for the boys to change, prepare the water and get taped up.

3. If the Captain keeps pulling off this +30 minutes buffer stunt, the team gets a bit smart and will take matters into their own hands and the resulting rationale is as follow

Step 1 – Reads Email
Captain says in email that training is at 7pm.

Step 2 – Typical SMU rugby player
If Captain say 7pm….means 7.30pm “ok lah…still got time to ‘go take 5’(smoke) and see some up skirts at ‘Pick and Bite’(one of the school’s eatery)

Step 3 – The Slippery Slope and Pluralistic Ignorance
Since every one will probably think the same way as I do…and they will probably only start REACHING the training venue around 7.30pm, I think I will just make sure I reach there by 8pm.

Do you see how this can turn into quite a nightmare?

So Wednesday nights, we usually train at a public compound/walkway/corridor in SMU, as the School Sports hall is fully booked on that day. The place where we train is located underground at SMU and surrounded by retail shops, clinics and some banks. It is the best possible open space we have to train on that is convenient for every one who has classes till 6.45pm and that has lights and a decent space to work conduct training.

The space is usually too tight to work with a 30 man rugby team, as we have to deal with running in between passer bys or hoping that whoever kicked that ball (even though told not to) does not chop off the head of the innocent old lady withdrawing money at the ATM. Not to mention, sometimes the school cheerleaders, insist on fighting with us for the limited space while we train, but I guess we don’t mind it all that much. Therefore with the space that we have, Wednesdays' sessions are usually spent doing our basic skills and unit skills. Team-run is certainly a no-no.

Nevertheless, despite the constraints the team still showed a fair bit of commitment and turn up for training on Wednesdays.

Hmm but maybe...it was more for the cheerleaders.

3.5 days later...

Three and a half days after the survey was launched this is the tentative SMU Player's XV.

1. Vicknesawaran S/O Sellathurai
2. Chong Wei Nurn
3. Sherman Yeo
4. Joel Leong
5. Daniel Marc Chow
6. Lionel Poh
7. Benjamin Teong
8. Daniel Marc Chow
9. Josiah Goh
10. Amos Siow
11. Ruzaini Sani
12. Desmond Wee
13. Desmond Wee
14. Ruzaini Sani
15. Alex Ong

If there was one person that everybody agrees deserves his place is our dearest scrum half Josiah Goh. Of the 47 votes casted, Joise secured 43 votes which is a whopping 91.5%

The Survey has also shown that we cant simply get enough of DMC, Dezzzo and Zaini...we want more than one of them.

Lastly, at the full back slot...the ugly stepsister has once again proved that he is more influential than cinderella edging him out in a two way contest with 81.3% of the votes.

Keep voting..another 4 days left.

Behind Closed Doors - Mondays with SMUrugby

With the conclusion of the rugby season, the City Boys have hit back to the books and been undergoing some internal re-organization of the team. With a new executive committee set to step up to take over from the committee of 2007/2008, we hope to see a stronger SMU side next season.

So while the Inter-University season is over and most of us all heading back to our books, we thought we give our readers a treat, and give you a peek to what SMUrugby training regime is like. Over the next few days, we will take you through our weekly routine and how we prepared ourselves for the 2008 Tri-Universities.

The team who boast of 30 active players constantly struggled with attaining a steady healthy turn out during trainings. Nevertheless, the team trained 3 times a week on Monday nights, Wednesdays nights and Friday late afternoons.

The reason for the rather irregular times of training was due to the difference in timetables of the players. At SMU, lessons usually end by 6.45pm and on Fridays by 3.15pm.

Unlike our other rivals like NUS and NTU, the deprivation of a rugby field within our school premises, proved to be a huge challenge that the team had to deal with. Hence, during the season, the team often had to make-do with whatever we could get.

For today, we will take you through our Monday’s training session.



Monday sessions usually sees a poor turn out. The team only has the school sports hall which is located at the SMU administration building from 6pm to 8pm, as that was the best possible slot we could get from the balloting process (within SMU, clubs have to ballot for the use of the sports hall). Hence, most of the boys who have classes till 6.45pm either join the session around 7pm or better still! Not bother themselves, by not turning up.

Nevertheless, the Monday session is usually the most slack and enjoyable. The boys do some ‘skills’ and cardio exercises. Playing a bit of soccer, basketball or even boxing(please refer to the video below) is definitely on the training manual, especially after a weekend’s game. Other times, the team does a bit of fitness and spends some time working their unit skills.

Imagine you are the captain - and you are about to run your backline moves and then you see this...

Amidst all the 'serious' work out and exercises, the team also takes time to mess around(as you probably figured) or even consider attempting crazy feats. Such as kickers Amos Siow and Josiah Goh aiming to put a rugby ball through the basketball net by attempting to do a place kick or drop kick from the other end of the court. Both of which never succeeded.

Another crazy feat attempted and witnessed, was when Tafa threw down his guard during line out training and issued a challenge to 'Big Daddy' Daniel Marc. The dispute was over who was the better jumper and the Big Daddy was appearing "full of himself" and confident that there can be no better jumper than himself. The former SMUrugby president then broke it down to Tafa, "... to prove it(you are a better jumper than I am) you got to show me you can either jump higher than me or do a slam dunk!"

Tafa chose the latter.... enjoy the video

SMU Player XV

Tomorrow is the big game. You are ready, mentally and physically. Waiting to be unleashed. Then Outlook pops a you got mail msg on the bottom right hand. You click the tab, suck in one deep breath, you forehead moistens with sweat, its the line up.

WHAT THE F**K! That clown has messed up the line up again, whats wrong with that fool?

Yes..this clown...

How many times have you found yourself, in this very situation. Think you can do a better job than Ex-President Amos Siow. The time has come boys, to nominate your very own SMU PLAYER'S XV. Root for those who should be there and boot the rest.

Pick your Fave Fowards:SMU Player's XV Forwards

Pick your Fave Backs: SMU Player's XV Backs

You will have till midnight next Thursday, and we shall know whether our pretty little Cinderella is worth his glass shoes..

P.S: It is advised that you dont spam votes for yourself...it quite noticable and i will take you down. Remember what Sherman said about me, "Vicky, you are the worst."

SMUrugby TV Presents...

Perth, Western Australia
10 Days
12 Players
13 Tries

Compilation of tries from IRAUG 7s 2007