Asian Games Player Profile: Angelina Liu

Photo by Lawrence Ang

The Singapore National Development 7s Squad has channelled many talents to the senior squad and Angel Liu who had come through that pathway speaks to us about her journey.

Name: Angelina Liu Huiyun
Age: 28
Occupation: teacher

Sport before Rugby?
I was a 200m and 400m runner in secondary school and JC. I also bowled for a while during JC and Uni before playing soccer for NUS.


How and Why Rugby?
I picked up touch rugby in Eusoff Hall in my second year of Uni during Inter-hall Games. Initially I thought it was a silly game but was encouraged to pick it up as my friend said I had the speed for the game. While playing Inter-faculty games was talent spotted by member of Singapore Recreation Club touch rugby team. Subsequently picked up Contact rugby in 2003 Oct when I went for trials for the National Development Squad. My then-coach thought it would be good for us to try rugby so we did.


How does rugby differ from your previous sport?
Soccer used more of my feet but rugby used more of my hands?


Do you agree when people say that rugby is a men's game?
Nope, not anymore since more and more girls are picking up the game at a younger age.


What did you find the hardest to adapt to, when you took on rugby?
The fact that I had to stop someone not just by touching them but by using my whole body and strength to tackle them down. I've suffered a split eyelid, my first ankle sprain, sprained a nerve in my foot, spraiend fingers, MCL strain, PCL and LCL slight tear, concussions, countless bruises and cuts otherwise, relatively unscathed.


Can you describe your first experience with rugby?
I didn't know anything about the game before that so was never a fan. As a player, I thought the fitness was crazy tough when I first when down for trials for National Development team. And learning to tackle was quite an experience considering I was still struggling to catch the ball. Kept spraining my fingers coz i used my fingers to pull at people's jerseys and ball kept jamming my fingers. When I played in Bangkok 7s my very first rugby tournament, was punched by a Thai player and really overawed by the whole experience but kept going back for more haha


The lowest moment of your rugby experience...
Was when the coach announced I was no. 13 in squad for SEA games (only 12 will get to go).


The proudest moment of your rugby career...
Was making cut for ASIAN Games and hopefully winning a medal.


How much do you love rugby? If you had a choice to represent Singapore in another sport, what would it be?
I love it enough to give up sleep, rest, having a life to go for training and tournments. Hmm.. Bowling?