You must feel bad for all the school rugby players, coaches and officials caught up in the frenzy generated by the scuffle after the game between the Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) and St Andrew’s Secondary.
There have been 54 games in the B Division Rugby Championship this season but the continual repetition of only the bad news from two games is making the players, coaches and officials involved in schools’ rugby look bad.
With every breathless retelling of what supposedly happened at the Old Police Academy on Monday afternoon by people who were not even there, the prevailing impression is that teeming hordes of students, parents and Old Boys raced onto the field to engage in mortal combat.
That could not be further from the truth.
I was there.
If you blinked too quickly, you might not even have noticed the incident. Yes, students rushed onto the field, but the supporters did so to celebrate, not to fight. Those who have watched the finals for far longer will attest to this tradition.
Since I started covering the B Division rugby in 2007, the post-final celebrations have been incident-free.
Monday’s incident started and ended quickly because mature, cooler Old Boys and teachers from BOTH schools ended the scuffle. Ruggers believe fighting after the whistle does not represent their game and so they intervened to stop it, not join in.
Finding out who started the fight is the responsibility of the principals of the respective schools. If neither principal wants to let us know publicly what they are doing with their respective students involved, then so be it.
Whether aggressor or victim, let us remember that they are student athletes, and they could just as well be our own sons, brothers, cousins or nephews. Character development is best done in the quiet cocoon of a school, not in the harsh glare of the public.
Let the appropriate punishment be meted out behind closed doors and let us move on to the good parts of school sports.
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[…] Because of the over-the-top media coverage in the mainstream media of the scuffle after the B Division Rugby Championship final. (You can read more about it here.) […]
[…] As it turns out, each school was limited to only 300 student supporters each. And why? Because of the over-the-top media coverage in the mainstream media of the scuffle after the B Division Rugby Championship final. (You can read more about it here.) […]
Rugby is a beautiful game, more passion and excitement that any other sport so far.
Fights are nothing in a contact sport like rugby. You have it in NHL, EPL, heck even downstairs the void deck or basketball court.
Five years from now, the two boys will laugh over it and the fight wont matter.
Kudos to SA and ACSI for a d$mn good game!
The 2 boys, (Leonard Wee included) probably would have like to settle it quietly between themselves. However, it is the adults that is keeping the fire going. It is such a shame that these 2 boys are being used as pawns to attack the 2 established schools. It is such a shame that the adults involved do not know better… Old Saint.
This is blown way out of proportion. I feel for the boys involved. Had they not been from SA and ACS, this matter would not have been such a mountain given the fact that it is indeed a mole hill.
I pray that this matter is resolved quickly. Afterall, the boys have already paid a hefty emotional price for it already.
It should be noted that what leonard said to Daniel was actually a fact. When he meant go back to ITE, he was referring to the fact that Daniel had been expelled from SA the previous year and went to ITE, however, he got back into SA as a normal acad student through rugby. So i guess Leonard was wrong for instigating the incident, but what he meant actually was based on a true fact
well, as a matter of fact, daniel WASN’T expelled from SA the previous year and he DIDN’T go to ite. he did well for his N level and was the top10 in his cohort. PLEASE GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT!
the rumble and tumble of things; of boys to men…
thanks for the beacon light of balanced perspective in the current rough sea of accusations!
im from ac and im really sorry for what happened saints.
up and on.
God Bless
The press/media magnifies every single issue. This is a sport more physical than most, and with tension running high it is unsurprising. I think most who have commented have not played the sport, and hence wouldn’t understand what it’s like to play in a rugby final. Also, we shouldn’t judge a group by what its individual member does. One ACS boy dishes out insults and ACS = snobbish? So one SA boy throws the punches implies that SA = fighters? Be mature, and let what happened on the field stay in there.
I thonk acs is at fault though i am an ac boy, sorry to all saintz
National Schools B Rugby Final Incident.
It is a question of perspective. What I saw as an incident that happened after the final whistle got blown out of proportion. I saw a skirmish when an SAS player punched an ACS(I) player. Some officials and supporters rushed in to separate the players. It was a very brief event that ended as swiftly as it started. The Straits Times reporter was quick to conclude that it was a fracas, a free for all and pitch invasion. It became front page news.
We each have our own interpretation of the incident. Passionate supporters from both sides allowed their emotions to boil over and take control of their imagination. They started posting their side of the story and hearsays on various online discussions. Many of these postings were unhelpful and disrespectful. Instead of resolving the issue, they further escalated the tension and rivalry.
The two players involved are now put on trial by the journalists, public and supporters from both sides. They acted as persecutor and judge. All these are unhelpful for the two players SAS, ACS(I) and National Schools Rugby. I urge the Rugby fraternity to close rank, immediate stop unhelpful postings on online discussion, let the National Schools Rugby Convener and the two schools handle the situation.
Meanwhile let us support the two players who are put on trial. They need our emotional support and please allow them to get on with their lives and studies. Please do not a small incident to become a national event. Let restore the belief that Rugby is a gentlemen game.
Today’s report (again in the Straits Times) has highlighted that Police charges have been brought up by the ACS(i) boy’s parents.
What irks me to no end is the fact that in the same article, the Mother, Mrs Wee, is quoted as saying she is teaching her son compassion and forgiveness in the matter – urmmm..then why in the world are you bringing this matter to the law?
Trying to be neutral is very difficult when you read this kind of behaviour. What’s worse is that a ‘straw poll’ of 20 said that Mrs Wee was right in doing what she said…come on 20 people? What kind of poll is that?
At the end of the day,my personal opinon is that by bringing up charges and drawing out the issue even more into the public eye, that this is going into the spectrum of totally ridiculous.
An SA old boy I spoke to this morning was incensed that its come to this, and he recalled a matter a couple of years back when an AC spectator slapped the SAJC Coach at the same ground in an A division semi final. The AC spectator was a current national player at the time. All the SAJC coach asked was a public appology, which was duly given (after much debate from the AC camp) and the whole matter was dropped- between 2 adults.
Many AC aluminus I have spoken to as well are divided. Many say that the ACS of old is very different to the school they see now, and some even feel dis associated with the ACS of today.
The fact remains as les points out, this was one incident which is contiuing due to extreme (and some might speculate even un warranted) media coverage. What happened to not airing your dirty linen in public i wonder?
Two boys have taken initiatives hoping to cool down the rivalries between the student body of both schools by setting up Facebook groups.
Check out…
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=118223778193040
“like” for U.Les’ article.
I have had enough of ST’s coverage.
They are making the students look REAL bad.
I love this -> “Whether aggressor or victim, let us remember that they are student athletes, and they could just as well be our own sons, brothers, cousins or nephews. Character development is best done in the quiet cocoon of a school, not in the harsh glare of the public.â€
Cheers mate! :p
I was a school rugby player some 30ys back.Fights do happen during a game and on rare occasions after the games.Words spoken and puches thrown in .Players move onto the army or uni or national squad to meet ‘opponents’ and become the best of friends.I played for St Andrews and since my son is in ACS ,now support both school.
Rugby to me is the best team sports to build character.Rugby has committed old boys and best coaches.Lets give the school and the players a break.Straits Times perhaps could focus more on school talents and performance….stories like this do sell papers…..but at what cost ??
Good post.
I grew up playing the game in a very hostile environment. amidst racism& the like ( I’m local by birth but grew up in my father’s homeland, Pretoria ).
In the heat of the moment, emotions can rocket sky-high& chances are, most times they broil over into a fracas – riots even – here& there.
To say that ‘derby’ rivalries are competitive is an understatement& because of that, the term Sportsmanship would be put to the ultimate test.
There is no excuse for taunting an opponent neither is there one for physical retaliation. Sportmanship is an element of Rugby Education that should not be thought of as Overrated.
The boys are young& impressionable, let’s move on after apologies have been made. Let’s not forget about the wonderful games/match-ups these 2 schools have given us in the past. That is what’s important.
For all ruggers always remember that when you put on that jumper, you’re not only representing your schools, clubs, provinces& what nots. You are also representing the sport.
That is what really matters.
For the 2 boys involved, shake hands, give each other a pat on the back& who knows, down the road, these 2 may even become the best of partners as they represent this Nation.. someday.
A big thank you to both schools again for another thrilling game, on the field.
Well said Les. Finally someone to put some sense in the situation, looking past the blue, white and yellow.
Student athletes, they are. And student comes first in the phrase. Learning is something both side can take out of this frenzy, only alleviated by skewed reporting of the incident.
Kids, they are. And allowing them to hide behind a slew threats for civil suits or banished under an onslaught of disciplinary measures will do nothing but hinder their growth.
Chance, is what they both need. Unless given another chance, not to evade punishment, but one to be in a similar situation, they can never exhibit what they learn.
Most importantly, the ones who should be waking up in light of this is those who can’t see past the school colours or prestige, who inevitably delivering eports based on cursory glance of the situation and those who reiterate based on the side they saw or took.
U-gene Chan, this goes out to you.
Is there a ‘like’ button somewhere? ; )
Kudos Les!
Finally sense has prevailed, and it does not matter what school you came from in this matter. It was a blip – a moment of madness which everyone will have to deal with from now on, but we all need to move on, learn from it and ultimately use the learning points to ensure these student athletes (I love that term) are moulded for the better by this.
It was Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant, an American Football Coach at the College level who put it best –
“It’s awfully important to win with humility. It’s also important to lose. I hate to lose worse than anyone, but if you never lose you won’t know how to act. If you lose with humility, then you can come back.”
We need to move on, the press needs to move on, and most importantly, the passionate old boys from both camps need to move on. It’s just a game, and re hashing the incident will not make one any younger, or any smarter!
Thanks Les for putting things in perspective. This is a learning process for the boys; school principals from both schools must use this incident to educate not only their rugby players but also the athletes participating in other sports. Re-emphasize the need for good sportsmanship (victors should not only rejoice but must empathize with the players from the losing team). We must remember we are all S’poreans and these boys will eventually be under one roof when they serve their National Service in a year or two.
Hear hear!
Finally some common sense into this whole bit of finger pointing and ugly accusation.
“Whether aggressor or victim, let us remember that they are student athletes, and they could just as well be our own sons, brothers, cousins or nephews. Character development is best done in the quiet cocoon of a school, not in the harsh glare of the public.”
You said it perfectly right sir… they are students first, teenagers and let us remember that fact