Written by: Rishika Ghanamoorthy
Edited by: Chen Kexin and Lydia Ong
Photos by: SMC Publicity
“The mall is the field and I am the tank” was what Renzo Canina Bae Tekkers replied when he was approached with the question of what his touch rugby philosophy is. Confused? Yeah, so was I. Upon elaboration, I realised that he has a full poem he recites before every rugby match to get in the zone -
Put tank in the mall chicken nut bread
After I run through she cannot bread (she cannot breath)
The mall is the field and I am the tank
There is a deep meaning behind this poem and Renzo Tekkers shared how he would like his fans to approach him so that he can explain the meaning behind this poem. If you are too shy to approach this superstar, NUS literature students would do just fine in uncovering this magical poem. Just like the love story between FlightReacts and Stephen Curry, Renzo Tekkers loves touch rugby as he gets to touch his favourite teammate - Daddy Benjamin Khoo. So inspirational.
However, sadly, unfortunately, disappointingly, not everything has been sunshine and roses for Renzo. Tekkers Syndrome caught up with him. As he explained it, “The Sandaime performed the reaper death seal on me which took away both my shoulders.” In other words, he was simply trying to say that he dislocated both his shoulders. When asked if he was working on anything when it comes to touch rugby, he shared that he is currently working on getting money for his shoulder injuries so he can buy new shoulders.
Renzo also shared that his most memorable moment in the sport was when he scored his first try in IHG next year. That was when I realised that he has been a contact rugby player and just started playing touch rugby in hall, so he does not have many memorable memories yet. For someone who just started, his captain says he is phenomenal. But. Why rugby? He was getting bored of round balls so he decided to try some oval balls and after that there was no looking back, he just fell in love with rugby.
He is not just a great player on the field, he could actually join the circus. His pre-match routine includes - flicking rugby balls three times, asking Stefan not to pee on his door, juggling five balls with one hand, and sweeping the field with a broom on the other hand. His packing list for matches and training is simple, Renzo believes that the hallmarks of being a great player is bringing your lungs for communication on the field.
I have to say, Renzo is one of those rare athletes. I was left inspired beyond words after his interview. He is definitely someone to look out for during IHG!
After a testosterone-filled interview, I managed to interview Theng Xuan! A freshman from the female team. “You can sub out” is what Theng Xuan tells herself when she gets tired on the field. But. In all honesty, I think she was just being humble. When she walked through the doors for our interview, her aura was strong, feisty, and she looked very very fit. I just knew this touch rugby player is not one to be messed with. My first impression of her was confirmed when she shared that she plays Centre which means that she can take control of the play. She calls the plays, the team makes it happen.
Her touch rugby philosophy is simple. Just keep showing up. If there was one important thing I learned from the interview, it would be to enjoy the process and that is when you can perform best. We have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Theng Xuan is definitely someone who has so much energy. Every team needs someone like her. She brings the energy and her teammates definitely rely on her. So she shared that she always reminds herself to keep her head up and just keep going.
While interviewing her, I could see that she was getting very shy when it came to questions that required her to sell herself. So, let me do the selling instead. Theng Xuan has amazing ball skills. Touch rugby is not the only sport she plays. She plays Handball as well and as her teammate there, she is a really quick learner, very motivated, and focused on the task at hand. These attributes follow her around in every sport she participates in. (P.S. Theng Xuan don’t shy, join Netball please).
At the end of our conversation together, Theng Xuan provided me with one of the best quotes that a team player has shared with me - “We are only as strong as our weakest link.” Watch out for this chilli padi and beast during IHG!
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