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| photo by Mark Cristino |
Age : 18
Occupation : Student
Height : 1.55m
Weight : 49kg
How long have you been playing rugby union and how did you start?
I've been playing for a year now. I started rugby last year in mid june when I bumped into a touch teammate during a touch carnival. It was my first time seeing her in 6 months and I remember jumping on her due to my joy. She then told me that a rugby tournament would be held during the 2nd week of july, and asked me if I was keen to play. She is now one of the persons I respect the most and most grateful to. Each time I step on the field, I try not to disappoint her.
What other sports do you play besides rugby and at what level?
I used to play handball with my school and touch rugby. For handball, I took part in tournaments against the local unis and clubs, and played some beach handball competitions. For touch, I trained with the national touch squad a few times and made it for the u20s. I dropped both because of injuries, studies and to focus on rugby more.
How is rugby different from the other sports you have participated in? And why did you make the switch?
It is different from the other sports because of its physicality. I know that handball is a contact sport too, but when I played, I would always avoid contact, which is an easier thing to do than in rugby, where getting into contact is a must, whether you are being tackled or the tackler. Also, rugby is a sport in which both hands and legs can be used to attack. Which is an aspect which offers a lot of possibilities and skills to develop.
I switched to rugby because I wanted to improve my touch and get over a big disapointment that I had last year. It's also because I ended up growing a lot of love for that sport.
What did you find hardest to adapt to when you started rugby?
Whatever involved rucking and tackling. So yes, basically anything that had to do with contact. And communication too, as my English wasn't very good and some of my teammates are still laughing at my pronunciation and accent. Haha.
Are your family/friends supportive of you playing rugby?
My family didn't know that I played rugby until my first overseas tournament in Borneo. As for my friends, I didn't tell them anything, so they started to find out about it only after my second trip, when I came back with a wound on my neck and that they thought I've been attacked by someone.
Yep, my friends are supportive and my mum doesn't really care as long as I don't cause her any stress with any injuries or anything. I try not to worry my parents don't know with my injuries.
Who is your biggest rugby supporter & who is your biggest rugby influence?
I think my biggest rugby supporter are the SA young boys! Coach said they started a fan club for me. haha.
Mmm. I think that it's my dad? He hasn't watched me play and doesn't know much about the game and is always overseas but I know that he will always be there to support me. But that's maybe because he thinks too highly of me and of what I do, and shouldn't.
I believe that everybody has something to give and offer to the others. A lot of people had a rugby influence on me, be it in a way or another, consciously or unconsciously. Be it the seniors, those who their love for rugby is so strong you can feel it in their words and attitude and end up taking a something from it and make you love the sport even more, and people who never gave up despite fatigue, pain or injuries and always gave their best for their team and teammates. Or those who always manage to find the words to re-ignite everybody's spirit, flame or hunger when it's down after a bad game or before it, to boost the team's spirit as one and make everybody give their best again. In some, I could feel that spirit and see it in their eyes and that always motivates me to do better.
What are your most memorable rugby memories so far?
Right now, I can't think of any in particular.. But I know that there are a lot. I would say that some of the most memorable are those that I had with my teammates and friends off the field and how I got to know them.
One of the memories is making it to the national team. My teammates were spamming me messages and I didn't dare to open the coach's email before at least a very heart pumping half hour after receiving it. Winning a very tight game are also very good memories. And it happened thrice. Once in Borneo at the Asia Pacific Women's 7s with a decisive game in the Plate Finals against Cook Islands, once during the local league season's final and during the Asian 15s Div II finals in Manila against Thailand.
Seeing all your teammates jumping on each other and expressing their joy and sometimes tears of joy is always very rewarding. And the feeling of relief because it was such a close fight and everything depended on one single try or conversion, and the effort that everybody gave to thrive towards the same goal.
How does it feel to be the youngest player and do you feel any pressure?
In very domain, there is always a "youngest". I don't really feel any gap between me and the seniors and don't feel any problem talking to most of them. One of my biggest confident in rugby is also one of the oldest. Haha.
Being the youngest gives me a feeling of happiness that I can't really describe, and I also know that I won't be the youngest for very long, as others will take over very soon and that it's a continuous thing. The youngest of today can be the oldest of tomorrow.
It also means that i have plenty of time before retiring! That's if I don't get any severe injuries and manage to fight the "you will retire at 24 years old if you dont start taking care of your injuries" that one of my teammate keep telling me and that I somehow agree with.
There is some pressure to try to perform as what the seniors would expect me to. But being the youngest, it means that I have a lot of time to improve and learn from them, who are more experienced and always open and willing to help me.
What does rugby mean to you?
It means a lot. Sometimes I try to imagine what I would be doing without rugby now, and I realise that I can't think about a lot of things.. It allowed me to meet new friends and to know myself better, my weaknesses, limits and abilities. It makes my life more exciting and gives me something that I always look forward to and that I constantly try to work harder on.
Quickfire
Favourite team/player: Nil
Favourite local dish: Chinese Soups (Lotus with Pork Ribs/Herbal Chicken)
If I didn't spend so much time playing rugby I'll be ... volunteering at a home for the elderly/disabled, learning sign language and taking guitar lessons!
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