After the recent C Division Rugby Championship final in which the Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) beat St. Andrew’s Secondary 39-0, I had written the following statement:
“ACS(I) won the A and B Division titles this year and are now the first school in Singapore school history to hold the A, B and C titles in a single calendar year.”
Some readers take issue with this.
Why?
Their contention is that in 1975, Raffles, before the formation of Raffles Junior College, were the first school to hold all three titles. However, in 1975, Raffles were declared joint-holders with St. Andrew’s for the A Division. Hence, based on this, the reasonable assessment was made that ACS(I) is the first school to hold the A, B and C Division title in the same calendar year, or the grand slam, as it is commonly known.
I have no access to official records and have requested but not received any reply from the officials at the Co-Curricular Activities Branch, Ministry of Education. I only have the records that you see on the Past Champions page which were provided by one ACS old boy and one St. Andrew’s old boy.
Based on these records, I can find no other year where a single institution held all three titles in the same year on its own. Yes, the Raffles and St. Andrew’s family of schools have won the grand slams. A combination of the respective junior college and the secondary school put together the grand slam. ACS(I), because of its International Baccalaureate (IB) programme, has the students to take part in all three divisions. Hence they are in a position to take all three titles as a single institution.
A saint wrote: “Joint holders still means they own the title, albeit with Saints.”
Another reader however disagrees, saying: “ACSI is indeed the 1st school to solely and wholly own 3 titles in a calender year. Can ri or saints claim that? Joint IS NOT exclusive 1st!”
As I’ve always said, this site is held up by the collective knowledge of the readers. I don’t know it all. And so if you do have correct records, or you have an opinion about whether a joint-holder of a title should be judged as equal to an outright holder of the title, please feel free to share it.
If anyone knows why Raffles and St. Andrew’s were declared joint-holders in 1975, please feel free to illuminate the rest of us.
REDpoll
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ACS(I) complete rugby grand slam with win over Saints in C Division rugby final
Well, we can always cross-reference various sources and make a judgement on who indeed won the 1st grand slam. However, I agree with uncle les that ACS(I) is the 1st school to win all 3 based on the fact that it is the same institution and it is commonly known. Although I’m an RI rugger, I don’t feel lose out on who takes the 1st grand slam. Furthermore, now that RJC and RI are officially merged, we just have to focus on getting the next grand slam and probably make a better archive for the past champions.
hey..cheer up…u guys hav no sportsmanship…every game have a lose or win…competition is jus to make us better..not to fight of who is better…the greatest opponent is yourself…so like wad saints rugby said…lets not fight..the match is over..the rice has turned ito porridge and acsi has won all the three titles…so saints…don bother bout tis yr’s results…mayb theres hope for saints nxt yr…
if anything i think its quite commendable that Acsi can win all 3 titles with just 2 full time coaches and 2 part time coaches coaching 5(sec1,sec2,sec3,sec4,year5+6) teams at once! Plus the coaches also have other commitments throughout the year! (University/club rugby)
oh come on readers,why do you people care so much about
achievements and so what if it is or is not a grand slam?
let me ask you this question,what’s the purpose of you playing sports that interest you?
oh well,we sportsmen play sports because we have the passion for that particular sports isn’t it?we have the pride and the passion in the games that we played!we don’t play sports just to see who can win the titles?we play sports just to indulge ourselves in a sense of passion for the game and reason for competitions or friendly matches is to exchange pointers isn’t it and learn from our mistake!
our goal is not to be able to win glory for our school,shouldn’t we like aim for a more realistic goal such as playing for the singapore rugby team and showing other countries what we are made up off!is of no point fighting for glory for our schools among ourselves uh?
I totally side that acs deserves the title as ‘first school to hold rugby grand slam’. Raffles did not wholly get the A ‘div’ win back in ’75, which shows that they are closely competed. But Acs(i)’s ’08 c ‘div’, already having not played to their full potential that day, beat Saints 39-0. Now, that’s a win! FAIR AND SQUARE!
Ummm honestly guys. I really think there is more to life than bragging about the achievements that our school’s have made.yes it may be your alma mater and we may be very proud of what we have seen our schools achieve, but all that is quite irrelevant in our present day. It doesnt really matter who the best is, or who has won the first or the most.As time goes by and we move on in life all this will be so trivial, and if not, then there really must be something wrong. Not coming from ac, i still feel ACS is a great school with many many achievements in history, however alll that is achieved is put to waste by its boys who never fail to brag. Being humble is a better way to go, especially since no1 from other schools really care!
Joke / Saintz
I think if you had re-read this whole blog you would realise that my comment was mentioning the fact that ACSI cant be the first school to win a g-slam because they are the only school in all A,B and C Divisions with the same name currently.
Before ACSI came about, a G-Slam was regarded as (example SAJC and SAS winning all three titles)
Yes in the old days Raffles had one school body but not now but thats irrelevant.
One view says that ACSI is the first school to win a G-Slam because they are the same school.
Another view says the above cant count because Saints and Raffles wont merge to be one school (like what ACSI is like) and a G-Slam is also regarded as SAJC winning the A division while SAS wins B and C.
*sigh*
“McMohan,
Do you not know that ACS, being one of the oldest boys’ schools (shld be 2nd to Raffles ),also had ACS Pre-U before ACJC was instituted. DONT think saints was formed before ACS.
Btw, ACSI tog with ACJC has won the most number of grand slams, despite having a much later start with rugby.”
um, ACS was founded in 1886… but St Andrew’s was OFFICIALLY founded in 1862 even though it was formed in the 1850s…. so that is 24 years before ACS.
I think it’s great to see old boys from their respective schools having so much passion about their alma mater.
At the end of the day, this site is meant to give Singapore sports and school sports in particular, its rightful place in the national dialogue about sports.
So while it’s great to see everyone trumpeting their own schools, let’s consider that everyone is at the end of the day, a fellow Singaporean and worthy of respect, regardless of what schools we come from.
What school we come from is secondary to what we become after we’ve left school.
Hi “Rugby Fan” and “who cares”
You right, no one really cares (well at least the matured ones). However there are a few anal folks who like that distinction that ACSi is seperate from the rest of the world.
At the end of the day, Singapore school rugby wins.
well done to acsi, but does it really matter whether its the first grand slam or not? whether its the first or not doesn’t change the fact that ac won all 3 titles and neither changes that fact nor detracts from that achievement. rugby is supposed to be a gentleman’s sport but it turns schoolboys and their parents into a bunch of immature whining little nitpickers. who cares if raffles or acs is better? you’ll be judged for who you are, not how great you think your school is. get a grip on yourselves and be men.
Sorry forgot to add in ACSS (before the formation of ACJC and subsequently ACSI and ACSBR) will all be a part of the same family.
Does all this debate matter or is it to buy time for some news until the season starts next year? Anglo Chinese whether ACSI, ACSBR, ACS Int, ACSPri, ACSJunior, ACJC or ACS Jarkata will still be a part of the Anglo Chinese family.
Hi Les
I cant remember 1975 very well, but back then title sharing was common, and rugby tourneys were played by few schools.
(to be honest title sharing back then was a win, more for the underdogs ie: Saints at that time)
Thanks
I was in the B division winning team in 1975 Police Cup final. RI won. We beat SJI in the semi-finals and seeing off a strong Dunearn Technical Secondary School. RI & SAS A division teams were declared joint winners after playing to a draw in extra time and the sun has set. Score 0 – 0.
McMahon:
” In true tradition of schools rugby (back before 1970s) a grand slam is defined as the junior college and secondary schools holding all three titles. ”
Get your facts right, dont give ludicrous info!
Back before 1970s, there was NO junior college. So may I ask what grand slam definition is that?
NJC being the 1st JC was formed only in 1969, with no secondary school.
ACJC was formed in 1977, RJC 1982, SAJC 1978.
You CANT simply change a school’s name to add an I, LOL!!!
Its a status, an entity that comes with it.
McMohan,
Do you not know that ACS, being one of the oldest boys’ schools (shld be 2nd to Raffles ),also had ACS Pre-U before ACJC was instituted. DONT think saints was formed before ACS.
Btw, ACSI tog with ACJC has won the most number of grand slams, despite having a much later start with rugby.
FYI, ACSI was THE FIRST Independent school in S’pore and the FIRST local school to offer IB Programme.
ACSI is never lonely, they actually have a very BIG family to party with. (6 schools in total )
You can be rest assured ACSI WONT be the only lonely ship in this journey, cause copycats are cruising along……….riding the waves of ACSI’s success.
And uncle Les, be sure there are followers of what ACSI does. Am sure you read about it in the papers.
Hi McMohan,
If Raffles had won the A Division title outright in 1975, they would have been the first school to have held all three titles in the same calendar year because the pre-university then was part of the same school institution. Those who went on to pre-u in Raffles, ACS, were in the same school with the same principal.
You are quite right that they are a lonely ship on this journey. There are no other schools that are in the same position technically. So they are in a category of their own unless St. Andrew’s and Raffles start IB programmes.
Les
To be technically correct, ACSi will be the only school to hold all three titles if you are going on that basis. Its not like Raffles and Saints can change their names to Raffles I and Saints I, they were formed long before ACSi.
Its like saying Manchester United have won the most number of league titles, when in fact they have won the most number of “Premier League” (since 1990) titles before the league changed from “First Division” (since 1800s).
In true tradition of schools rugby (back before 1970s) a grand slam is defined as the junior college and secondary schools holding all three titles.
To give Saints / Raffle are fair comparison;
ACSi are the first and only school to win a g-slam, of which no school can techincaly compete in that category…..and will probably be the only lonely ship on this journey.
saints said: “joint holders still means they own the title, albeit with Saints”
When you are joint holders, you cant claim you have won the match. Theres NO WIN! At best, you can only say you didnt lose and its a tie. You DONT OWN the title, you CO-OWN it with another. Where is the glory and jubilation of victory?
We are talking about CHAMPIONSHIP WINNERS here, where a team or a school has clearly won another, and is the sole and exclusive winner to the title. Its about a win, NOT A TIE!
Hence, ACSI is undisputedly the FIRST AND ONLY school to WIN ALL 3 TITLES and thus making them the ONLY and FIRST school to do so.