With a dominant first half and 11 points from Matthew Robinson [ACS(I) #9], Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) came out tops over Raffles Institution 26-14 for their fifth consecutive National A Division Rugby Championship title.
St Andrew's Secondary School beat Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) with a penalty right at the death to secure its first National Schools B Division Rugby Championship title since 2014. The score: 13-10, with flyhalf Nick Nijhof accounting for all of Saints' points.
Spotting clean shaven heads for the final, ACS(I) got off to a fast start, with hooker Gavin Ong cutting through the Saints defence to score a very early try that was converted. The St Andrew boys threatened to mount a comeback in the second half with two tries from Joedan Chan, but a penalty and then a fourth ACS(I) try in the closing minutes of the game snuffed out any possible danger.
Singapore will field its largest away contingent of 569 athletes for a Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur this August. The athletes will take part in 35 sports at the 29th SEA Games. Four sports – cricket, ice hockey, ice skating, and indoor hockey – will be contested for the first time at the Games.
In the first A Division Rugby Championship final to be played at the National Stadium, Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) were eyeing their fourth title on the trot, while Raffles Institution (RI) were seeking their first title in seven years. ACS(I) eventually ran away with victory, with two first-half tries by Isaac Tan (#3) and Benjamin Lim (#16).
Two late tries helped Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) overcome a gallant Raffles Institution 25-12 to emerge as National B Division Rugby champions for a third straight year.
Despite the one-sided victory, ACS(I) coach Adrian Chong wants to see more from his boys ahead of the final.
The win gives RI their first final appearance since 2012 when they lost 7-15 to the Saints. The result also meant St Andrew’s will miss out on the final for the first time since 2013.
