Link of The Day

(For those interested in the local varsity rugby scene)

Introducing... the ladies of NTU Touch. Exclusively for the readers of nturugbynews, we are proud to put the spotlight on our fair and lithe counterparts whose weekly runs at Turf City not only put their opponents gasping for air but also those at the sidelines.

In Part One of our exclusive highlight, we have not one but 2 of them for a short but definitely HOT interview.

"This is a Public Service Announcement... "

To the person who accidentally/purposely/conveniently/strategically took Alan Lontong's 6-Pack jersey:

Please bring it down for Monday's training session. He has been looking high and low for it, and still can't find it among his mountain-pile of dirty boxers at home. For everyone's good, let him have his jersey back so that we're not subjected to any more puke-inducing sights like this.



We still need our eyes to play touch...

NTL Pre-Season: SRC Mixed v Bedok Kings; 6-Pack v Bedok Kings

5th August, 2.40 pm, Turf City

Mixed Category

Score: 5-3

Play of the Day: Teapot by Gideon, Rachel and Adam culminating in a dive-try worthy of endless replays.

An unforgiving sun, absent clouds,and teasing winds made the NTL pre-season match-ups a truly energy-sapping one. Not letting the environment get the better of the team, the SRC Mixed team which included seasoned touch footballers like Angela @ Dickie, 'Scoop & Score' Amila,and 'Laundry Bandit' Gideon stepped one up to produce a winning performance against Asian Mixed Champions, Bedok Kings.

The technical skills of the girls were a welcome contrast to the raw physical agility of the boys. There were plenty of moments of brilliance from the team but what stood out most was the teamwork between the Barrakudas & their brother team, 6-Pack. The defence was led ably by Jessica who made sure the opponents not only had their attack foiled but also had their ear-drums terrorized with her irrepressible vocals. On attack, it was good to see 6-Pack making their runs with more conviction. There were always guys running at the gaps, which made our attack highly dangerous since there were so many options. The punch-ups and the flow was very encouraging too but there is still plenty of room for sharpening.

Overall, it was a good run for the mixed team and a very positive outing for SRC as a whole.

Men's Category

Score: 8-1

Play of the Day: Split & Score by Amila and Taufik on the 5m. Clinical!

A very flattering score indeed for the 6-Pack men, as they ran riot around the Kings non-stop. Of course, we had the advantage of youth but a win is still a win nevertheless. Skipper Alan 'Lontong' standing in for Leander was a calming influence on the team and gameplay was allowed to flow smoothly. Yum Hwa, despite a blistered foot, had a brilliant outing as well scoring and creating plenty of chances. Sujan's tricky play was a constant menace to the Kings and his Ceylonese brother, Amila, stamped his class on the field today. The inclusion of Gideon, Taufik and Lester back to the 6-Pack fold can only strengthen the team further and things are definitely looking up as NTL season nears.

Having said that, plenty of things that need to be ironed out are defence in general and the 5m play. Let's sort these stuff out in training so that when it's Game On time, we'll be an awesome force to be reckoned with.

Booyah!

Players win games, Teams win Championship

"There are plenty of teams in every sport that have great players and never win titles.

Most of the time, those players aren't willing to sacrifice for the greater good of the team.

The funny thing is, in the end, their unwillingness to sacrifice only makes individual goals more difficult to achieve.

One thing I believe to the fullest is that if you think and achieve as a team, the individual accolades will take care of themselves.

Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships."

The Past & The Future

The Past

27th May, Sat, NUS field, 9am-12.30pm (*thanx Khairul*)
....friendlies against RJC, NUS, Blacks, Lion Red and SP girls....

28th May, Sunday, old SPE/SMU, Blacks Fun Touch, 12pm - 6pm
2nd & 3rd placed

2 - 4th June, Fri-Sun, Rugby Annual Team Tour
Fun-filled Rugby Weekend
Ramli Burger & other assortments

The Raid of Chinatown market

Who is the murderer ?

16 - 18th June, Fri-Sun, Dayang Diving Trip
A great time off Rugby, Work and the Routine

2nd July, Sunday, Some HDB field
Lion Red Touch Rugby Carnival

Subjugation of the Tournament

Champion

12th July, Wed, Yio Chu Kang Stadium
Touch NZ Mix Team clinic for SRC Players during the Asian Champions week

15-16th July, Sat-Sun, Turf City, Asian Champions Tournament

The Best clubs in Asia, Fiji, Oz & NZ in the weekend tournament

3rd in Mixed

The Future

5th Aug 2006 - 14th October 2006, Every Saturday, Turf City
National Touch Rugby League

25th - 26th November 2006, Padang
SRC Annual Oasis Touch Carnival

17th - 21st Jan 2007, Cape Town (Stellenbosch), S. Africa
2007 World Cup Touch Rugby

Tournament Overview

Tournament Details

Extensions Tour

The "Bapok" Hunt

On Saturday, 22nd July....A few of us embarked on a journey to the far "East"

Coaxed by David that the East are full of culinary treasures

...we were not disappointed

The most "Awesome-O" Satay Chessy Beef Patty Platter

...oahh..all that cheese.. oozing out...

The 60-cents Massive Pineapple Drinks with Real Pineapple
(not inclusive of happy Englishman )

Full and satisfied, we then proceeded to see the "Bapoks" at Changi

Rumours had it that the "Drag queen show" was so famous that Alan flew all the way from Wigan just to catch the glimpse of it.
All those excitement soon turned out to be a disappointment as there was not any "Sausage in a dress" on sight

We were quite impressed by Siti K's insight knowledge of the "Trans"
From "Where the Queen change their clothes" to "What time they will be out parading"... the gang was soon equipped with the "Basic 101 to Trans viewing"

"...I won't be surprised if Siti knows their names..."

Anyway, hoping to share the joy with the rest of the team (much to the delight of Adam especially), we waited to snap a few friendly pictures with them

Minutes turn to hours.... hours turn to more hours...

...we waited...

...and waited...

...and waited somemore....

The gang waited more and spent the time playing the "Guess which Airline is landing" game.

...then...

...Alan thought he saw something.... Aaah!!....Finally....
but

it

turned

out

to

be

just

Siti K

Alas!!

Fortunately, on our way back home, Sujan managed to find a bunch of the Transvestite (which look a bit like the English Forward pack)

They scared the wits out of me
but
me think the Prop-sized one liked Sujan

It seems that our night was wasted
without a single good picture
until
magnanimously
the
most
celebrated
"Bapok"
suddenly
appeared
to
remind
us
all,
why
Changi
is
so
notorious
............
...........
..........
.........
........
.......
......
.....
....
...
..
.
.
.

p.s: Sujan, at this point, was giggling with excitement

Improve ur Flexibility & Prevent Injuries

Stretching is a fundamental way to improve your overall health and fitness. By incorporating a regular flexibility program into your exercise routine you will:

• decrease pain and soreness after exercise
• improve circulation
• improve posture
• decrease muscle tension
• reduce muscle soreness
• allow time for mental training, such as visualization
• lengthen muscles and increase range of motion, which helps lengthen your stride
• help prevent muscle and joint injuries by elongating and relaxing muscles
• flush lactic acid out of your muscles.

A complete stretching routine can take as little as 10 minutes. The best time to stretch is after you have warmed up and the muscles are warm. The best time to perform your flexibility routine is after exercise. This is when the muscle is the warmest and when you can use the relaxation. Focus on stretching the muscles you use the most during your specific exercise or sport.

Proper Stretching Technique

• Perform balanced stretching. This means you should always stretch the muscles on both sides of your body evenly. Don’t stretch one side more than the other side.
• Avoid over-stretching. Never stretch to the point of pain or discomfort. You will feel slight tension or a pull on the muscle at the peak of the stretch.
• Go slow! Always stretch slowly and evenly. Hold the stretch for about fifteen seconds and release slowly as well.
• Never bounce or jerk while stretching. This can cause injury as a muscle is pushed beyond it’s ability. All stretches should be smooth, and slow.
• Don’t forget to breathe. Flexibility exercises should be relaxing. Deep easy, even breathing is key to relaxation. Never hold your breath while you stretch.

As usual, when you stretch will depend on what works for you personally. However, there are a few points that hold true for (nearly) everyone who stretches...

Stretching Do's and Do Nots
Do...

• warm up thoroughly first
• ease into a stretching routine
• only static stretches (slow, rhythmic movement)
• pay attention to your breathing (take deep belly breaths)
• make stretching a habit
• relax
• listen to your body

Do Not...

• hold your breath
• bounce
• force a stretch
• hold painful stretches
• stretch injured muscles
• hurry through your routine

Use Static Stretching
Static stretching involves a slow, gradual and controlled elongation of the muscle though the full range of motion and held for 15-30 seconds in the furthest comfortable position (without pain). This is the first and most important stretching principle. In our opinion, all stretches for each muscle group should be done by using this static form of stretching.
How often you should stretch is still not fully understood. Most professionals would agree however, that daily stretching is best, during and after exercise sessions. Frequent stretching will help you avoid muscular imbalances, knots, tightness, and muscle soreness created by daily activities and exercise

Always Warm-Up Before Stretching
A warm muscle is much more easily stretched than a cold muscle. Never stretch a cold muscle, always warm-up first to get blood circulating throughout the body and into the muscles. A warm-up should be a slow, rhythmic exercise of larger muscle groups done before an activity. Riding a bicycle or walking works well.
This provides the body with a period of adjustment between rest and the activity. The warm-up should last about 5-10 minutes and should be similar to the activity that you are about to do, but at a much lower intensity. Once you have warmed up at a low intensity for about 5-10 minutes and have gotten your muscles warm, you can now stretch.

Stretch Before and After Exercise
I recommend stretching both before and after exercise, each for different reasons. Stretching before an activity (after the warm-up) improves dynamic flexibility and reduces the chance of injury. Stretching after exercise ensures muscle relaxation, facilitating normal resting length, circulation to joint and tissue structures, and removal of unwanted waste products, thus reducing muscle soreness and stiffness. Body temperature is highest right after the cardiovascular exercise program and/or after strength training.
In order to achieve maximum results in range of motion and to receive other benefits, it is highly recommended that you do static stretching at this point in your workout, just after your cardiovascular program and during or after your strength-training program.

It is your body, take good care of it... if not, Burma will.....(see pic above)

More readings:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stretching
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warming_up

Touch Rugby; the Mecca for good Rugby Sevens players

Stumbled upon Creaker's article about a site where there was an article written by the great Rugby Seven’s coach Gordon Tietjiens.

There are many similarities that can be drawn from touch rugby and sevens rugby. Gordon Tietjiens notes “For example I’ll have a look at Touch Rugby tournaments where I can identify players who have sufficient skills to be a very good Sevens players.”

He has 3 key principles. Support play, depth, and using the width of the field.
In touch rugby, support play coming from depth and using the width of the field at the right time is crucial. Another point Gordon mentions is fitness which is vital. Having a squad with a high fitness base is extremely important.
"everything revolves around general play, so you need players who have speed and who are superbly fit. It is important that you share the physical workload across the team so that every team member is fit enough to contribute, particularly off the ball. I am very demanding on fitness and generally I'll train players in a fatigue state as I put a huge emphasis on players working off the ball"

A lot of players such as Jonah Lomu and Christian Cullen went onto higher honours from sevens rugby.
Play hard and play fair. You never know who might be watching. You might even get a phone call one day...

...but for now, bear with the SMS-es from me...

The full article can be viewed at http://rugby7.com/7tietjens.asp

Some great quotes that we can relate to:

"You need to encourage support play both with and without the ball as you need players who will really make the defense work and create holes for the ball carrier"

"I encourage coaches to base their training on how they want to play the game and obviously that will depend on the type of players that they have available to them. You also have to be able to identify what you want with your team and coaches need an ability to analyze the opposition and really look at the teams that you are playing, things like seeing who the steppers are, where the speed is, and what type of player the opposition are using"

"The area that most teams can improve on is getting support players into the pocket and make sure that there is depth in support to ensure continuity in the attack"

"Once players have made the pass then they should drop as they need to ensure that their support realign off the guy in the pocket"

"The bottom line is that you have to be prepared to help players develop and if players really want to make the grade then they have to make a commitment and be prepared to change their lifestyles to make it"