Written by: Rishika Ghanamoorthy
Edited by: Chen Kexin and Lydia Ong
Photos by: EusoffWorks
Touch your heart. You think our Eusoff touch rugby players are super cool. You might have heard the stories and seen the scars. Our ruggers have been training hard. In an exclusive interview with touch rugby captains Mr “just shut up and play” Glenn and Ms “I’m only taking big Ws this year” Claudia, the captains open up about their preparation towards IHG, the expectations, and their passion for the sport.
Although the Covid-19 pandemic has been hard on the captains, having a chat with them really revealed the dedication that the captains have for the sport and the vision that they have for the upcoming IHG. Both Claudia and Glenn have their eye on the Gold and they are not stopping for anyone. Moreover, both shared similar sentiments that we have a good freshmen intake this year. The future is definitely looking bright for Eusoff’s touch rugby superstars.
So, what is touch rugby? In four words, Claudia shared the difference between touch rugby and other sports by saying that, “we play in lines”. Glenn described the sport as simply being “unique”. Indeed, touch rugby is a very interesting and a one-of-a-kind sport. In touch, one can only pass the ball backwards and never forwards, this makes the tactical plays that touch players have to come up with very interesting.
The inclusivity of the sport is what drew Glenn to the sport. Glenn shared that there is no definition for an ideal player. You do not have to be extremely fast, or tall, or small, or big, or agile. You can just be you, identify your strengths, and use it to your advantage. As he describes - more than anything, touch rugby is a tactical sport.
Having played touch rugby since her junior college days, Claudia shared that if there were three main things she would want her team to know it would be to, “Stay calm, stay focused, stay humble”. She opened up about how her experiences as a touch rugby player thus far, has shaped this captain philosophy of hers. She likes to have fun but when it comes to being on the field, she wants her team to know that they should fight for every ball and that they should not be complacent.
On the other hand, male captain Glenn only started playing touch last year after having been a contact player for several years prior. He shared that it is common for male players to transition from contact to touch in Eusoff Hall. That is where the challenge comes in for most of the male players in Eusoff. The transition is often tough and thus, Glenn says he focuses on basics, basics, and more basics. And once they get the hang of it, the Eusoff players are phenomenal.
When asked for a quote (“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who had practiced one kick 10,000 times” -Bruce Lee), Glenn humbly describes himself as “the least inspirational person” but not many know that he is in fact a multifaceted human being. His talents do not only grace the field but the runway as well (check out his Instagram for his modelling pictures). It’s safe to say that the confidence he has, is the key to his success in being an all-rounder. Similarly, Claudia is not only funny when she needs to be and serious when it is expected, she is also a soon to be doctor. Our touch rugby captains are a reflection of the immense talent housed within the walls of Eusoff.
However, the captains were not only keen on sharing their achievements. They were incredibly generous with praise for each other’s teams as well. Glenn showed his appreciation for the female team as “they help to increase attendance” while Claudia said that the male team “helps to carry the balls occasionally”. Especially Shern who is very ‘gentlemanly’ (apparently). We’ll take that as a W. The captains also sang praises for the Team Managers, especially for TM Myra and Ryan who have been going out of their way to support the teams.
Hearing the stories and the vision of the captains was truly inspiring. Watch out for the Eusoff ruggers because they are not backing down without a fight!
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