Introduction to Rugby Union (Sevens) for Girls
What is rugby?
Rugby is a game that is played in over 120 countries throughout the world.
It is a game that requires great athleticism and good psycho-motor skills (the ability to kick, catch and pass, to name some, all whilst running!)
Many of the values of rugby come from its rich history, traditions, camaraderie and community involvement with the sport.
Through non-contact versions of the game, children as young as six (both boys and girls) greatly enjoy rugby. The modified versions of Rugby in Singapore are created for safety and pathway development, including touch rugby, tag rugby, mini rugby.
Rugby is played both as a 15-a-side game, and is also very popular as seven-a-side. Seven-a-side rugby is a fast-paced and popular form of the game that allows for players to make explosive lines of run and is great entertainment to watch.
Values of the Game
Rugby Union is a game that develops leadership, team spirit, courage, sportsmanship, and friendship.
These values and traditions develop from the first time a young player shakes hands with their opposite number, leading to a life long passion for and involvement with the game at all levels.
The key values of the game of rugby consist of pride, teamwork and camaraderie, love of the game, and tradition and heritage.
Teamwork and Camaraderie - Rugby is unselfish and focused on team play achievement. Its rugged nature is balanced by the concepts of fair play, sportsmanship, fun and ultimately friendship. This can be experienced at any age, any level and anywhere - on the field or in the stands.
Love of the Game - Rugby engenders an abiding passion - an intensely personal pleasure in playing or watching. It creates an unaffected joy.
Tradition and Heritage - The ethos of rugby has shaped a code of behaviour that has transcended generations since 1823. It's time-honoured legacy creates a broader social environment for the sport that engages the family and community and strengthens the ties that binds everyone involved in rugby together.
Women's Rugby
Women's rugby is one of the fastest growing women's sports in the world and all over Asia. The International Rugby Boards’ Women’s Rugby World Cup was first played in 1991 and sees so many countries eager to participate; qualifiers have to be held before only the 12 top ranked countries may play in it.
In Asia, 18 countries such as Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, Arabian Gulf, Kazakhstan, Philippines, Guam, China, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan have been active in women’s rugby for the past 10 years. Countries such as Cambodia and Laos have also started playing rugby union.
Singapore
Women’s rugby has been actively played in Singapore since 1996. There are several active women’s clubs in Singapore and at a national level, Singapore has both a Women’s 15s and 7s squads, which participate in various international tournaments every year including the Hong Kong Women’s 7s, Asian Women’s 7s Championships, Asian Women’s 15s Championships.
Singapore’s National Women’s 7s Team first started in 1998 and achieved its first milestone in 2004 was when the team came in 2nd in Asia.
- The 2004 squad was awarded the Senior Team Merit Award by the Singapore National Olympic Council for their achievement.
- In 2007, the 7s team won the Silver Medal at the 24th SEA Games in Korat.
The 2007 Introduction of Rugby to Girls’ Programme
In March 2007, modified Rugby Union was introduced to girls in 7 polytechnics and junior colleges. Over 120 girls participated in the Singapore Rugby Union’s Girls’ 7s Carnival in May 2007.
Girls who are part of the phase 2 programme will go through six sessions which will further develop their knowledge of rugby union which is played in the 7s format – where players are encouraged to avoid contact situations through speed, agility and tactical plays. The detailed programme is attached in this guide.
The girls under this programme also had the opportunity of pitting their skills against school teams from Thailand in August in the Blacks Girls’ Rugby 7s 2007, a tournament for players in the under 20 age group.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I have never played rugby before?
Rugby requires specific skills just like any other sport. In fact, some of our best rugby players started playing other sports first and then converted to rugby. Skills learnt in any other sports will help you learn the basic rugby skills and allow you to quickly adapt to the new game.
Do boys and girls play together?
Girls and boys can play together in Mini rugby up to and including the age of 11. After that the physical differences prohibits mixed teams, so girls continue to play on in girls only competitions. After school, many women enjoy playing rugby in club competitions.
I though you had to be big to play rugby?
No. Rugby requires many varied body shapes and sizes to play the game. From shorter, strong front rowers to tall far reaching second rowers and the fast, nimble outside backs. There is a crucial position for everyone in rugby.
Isn't Rugby Dangerous
Rugby is a contact sport. It is therefore critical that correct tackling techniques are coached and learnt, so that all shapes and sizes coming into contact with each other can tackle in a safe and correct manner.
Everyone on coaching panel in SRU is trained under the SmartRugby program. The SmartRugby program ensures that all coaches and referees are skilled in the correct techniques to develop confidence in contact amongst their players/members.
Everyone on coaching panel in SRU is trained under the SmartRugby program. The SmartRugby program ensures that all coaches and referees are skilled in the correct techniques to develop confidence in contact amongst their players/members.
Coaches are required to cover this material in on-field sessions to players prior to the commencement of each season. Referees are required to understand the material and apply to the management of all games.
The techniques learnt are built into regular training and playing throughout the season, so that SmartRugby becomes an integral part of coaching and refereeing at any club, school or association.
The SmartRugby is a program implemented in the most established rugby unions all over the world.
But still, I’ve seen rugby and TV and there are plenty of people running into one another and piling on top of each other!
More often than not rugby that is televised is the 15s format of the game, which is far more technical positionally than the 7s format that you will be learning under the SRU programme. In the 7s format, there are half the number of players on the same size playing field, therefore the aim of the players is actually to minimize contact situations by passing the ball and changing running lines to confuse the defence.
Do injuries occur frequently in Rugby?
Contrary to popular belief, rugby is not the sport with the highest rate of injuries. Studies have shown that traditionally female-oriented sports like cheerleading, gymnastics and netball have a higher, if not, similar rate of injury.
The point to take home is that, injuries are part and parcel of any sport (especially when played competitively) and occur most often when a person is either not conditioned for the sport of when their technique is imperfect. This is why SRU places a strong emphasis on building the basic techniques through the proper training of its coaches who in turn will pass these skills on to the players.
What gear do Player’s need before they play the game?
Mouth guards and football boots are the major requirements. Additional padding includes shoulder pads, head gear and shin pads which are optional. All the girls who are part of SRU’s programme will be required to wear mouth guards.
Who are the coaches?
The coaches of the SRU’s Introduction to Contact Rugby for Girls are all female and are members of the National Women’s 7s and 15s Squads. They are all International Rugby Board certified coaches and have had many years of experience in both playing and coaching.
What players have to say
Rugby’s stereotyped reputation as a violent contact sport has always been a deterrent for most who have never had the honour of experiencing it. However, having been a rugby player in Women’s contact rugby for the past ten years now, I believe that rugby is so much more than just a game.
My time in the sport has been and is still a very meaningful and humbling experience. Besides getting opportunities to travel to places such as Australia and Qatar among others, playing rugby has enhanced and matured my personal growth and even taught me valuable life skills. Being part of a team builds character and imparts important qualities such as perseverance, determination, responsibility and teamwork.
Perhaps the most memorable aspect of being in a rugby team is the lifelong bonds of friendship which are forged in sweat, trust and spirit. On and off the pitch, the camaraderie built is enduring and it is also an excellent feeling to know that in both good and bad times, you have thirty close friends who you can depend on. Of course not forgetting the direct benefits of a healthy body and mind, rugby is indeed not merely a sport not just a game; rugby is a way of life.
Aslinda Abdullah, 25, Teacher
(National W7s 2007 Team Captain) Playing experience: 11 years
(National W7s 2007 Team Captain) Playing experience: 11 years
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"I first started playing rugby as an undergraduate and despite my family’s initial misgivings, they have come to understand that with proper instruction and coaching, rugby is a safe sport. As a testament to his support, my father, a dental surgeon, makes me a new mouthguard every season!
While rugby is still widely believed to be a rough and tumble sport, if you look beyond that, you will realise that it’s a game that trains many facets of your development as a person – keeping a clear mind to make decisions under pressure, learning the true strength of teamwork, staying calm and showing you what you are able to do when you put your heart into it. These are some of life’s greatest lessons and they have definitely helped me face challenges in all other aspects of my life. I am glad to have the opportunity to play and continue to grow from my experiences on the field."
Karen Yeoh, 28, Associate Director, Legal Counsel, UBS Investment Bank
(National W7s & W15s Player) Playing experience: 7 years
(National W7s & W15s Player) Playing experience: 7 years
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I started playing a modified form of rugby in Primary 4 and I joined a rugby club when I was 12 years old. Since then I have been participating in various overseas tournaments with the club and also made the cut for the National Teams.
I have definitely grown up faster than my peers and I've learnt things that cannot be found in text books. I can proudly say that my teenage years have been meaningful. I do think about what I would be doing now if I didn't play rugby. Maybe hanging around with my friends in orchard road every Sunday? I still do some typical teenage things, like watching movies, going to arcades, but not as often as my friends. Because I have commitments, training and such, I need to prioritise more.
Tan Hui Juan, 19, Student
(National W7s & W15s Player) Playing experience: 9 years
(National W7s & W15s Player) Playing experience: 9 years
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My first taste of rugby came when I was in my final year of university in Australia. Unlike Singapore, contact rugby is a thriving part of the female sporting scene in Australia. Completely intrigued by the physical and mental demands of this sport, I stuck to it. I joined a local rugby club in Singapore and have been playing rugby ever since. The past 3 years playing rugby has been an incredible journey during which I have learnt a great deal about teamwork, discipline, and determination.
Xu Lin, Olivia, 25, Research Officer, A*Star Research Institute
Playing experience: 3 years
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For me, what has changed from being a runner to a rugby player is not just the physical aspect of a contact sport, but also a psychological awakening as a sportsperson and an individual away from the pitch.
Whilst running also demands discipline and commitment (as with every other sport), but in a game where you don’t call your own time-outs and substitutions, you are forced to play above yourself, according to the clock, according to the referee’s call, with each heartbeat and breath of your teammates on the field.
This is when an individual grows, in loyalty, self-belief, determination, perseverance, and discipline. These traits aren’t acquired overnight or over one grueling session, but nurtured with successive training sessions as a team where we spur one another on to better our best, and with successive matches where we become bigger and stronger players than we could ever realize.
The best part about rugby is that it was never meant to be a solitary affair, defeat is not the burden of a sole player and glory is not attained by a single effort, I know I am never alone. This is where my greener pasture lies (especially in good weather.)
Amanda Teo, 19, Student, National University of Singapore
(National W7s player) Playing experience: 1 year
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I’ve always wanted to try rugby since I saw it being played by my male classmates during my Temasek Junior College days. The opportunity came when I was taking my undergraduate degree at University of California Berkeley and I wasted no time in joining a rugby club when I returned to Singapore.
I think it’s fantastic that rugby is being introduced to girls in schools now because girls in my time did not have that chance. Rugby has become more than just a hobby for me. It is something that I look forward to outside the sphere of the working world. The friendships that I have made on the field will last me a lifetime. Most importantly, through the nature of the trainings and competitions, I’ve learnt that if you put your mind to something, nothing is impossible and this is a belief I have applied to every other aspect of my life.
Ailei Tandean, 28, Associate, JP Morgan
(National W15s Player) Playing experience: 5 years
(National W15s Player) Playing experience: 5 years
