Asian Games Player Profile: Samantha Teo

Photo by Lawrence Ang

What better place to start with the first of our featured players for the Asian Games 2010 Special than with the youngest player of the National Women's 7s Team.
Name: Samantha Teo
Age: 19
Occupation: Student at SMU
Sport before Rugby?
I was playing netball from primary to secondary. When i went to junior college, i got introduced to touch rugby. I played netball at school level, touch rugby at school and club level.


How and Why Rugby?
I joined the team after the selections from the annual local 7s rugby tournament. The adrenalin rush when I get when I'm playing the game, somehow i just never lose focus of what I want to do.


How does rugby differ from your previous sport?
The physicality of the game is different. It is definitely more demanding in terms of strength, speed and agility.


So why the change to rugby?
Rugby is a sport where the learning never ends. I guess that's why I have grown to like it so much. Each game, each training I learn more and more and I intend to keep going.


Do you agree when people say that rugby is a men's game?
Rugby was definitely a men's game in the earlier days. But in the recent years, the women's game has really progressed all across the world. Locally, the sport has grown immensely, especially at the university level. All four Singapore universities have a women's rugby team. Something which was unheard of a couple of years ago. This just shows how much the game has grown in our small little country.

What did you find the hardest to adapt to, when you took on rugby?
The physicality of the sport was definitely one of the toughest thing to adapt to. I mean I consider myself to be pretty tough, but when I stepped onto the field for the first time, it was a whole different ball game. But 14 minutes of constant tackling and being tackled definitely makes you tougher person.


Can you describe your first experience with rugby?
I found rugby to be such a intriguing sport. At first by just watching, I thought it was a rough sport but then when I started to play the game, I began to realise that there was the graceful aspect of the sport as well. You'll just have to watch a game if you don't believe me!

The lowest moment of your rugby experience...
Was getting winded by opponent so bad that I could not finish the entire game, I had to be carried out to regulate my breathing first. I cried after that cause I felt that I should have been able to continue if I could have controlled my breathing better. But coming out from that, I have grown stronger in terms of mental skills and breathing technique.

The proudest moment of your rugby career...
Was getting selected to be part of the team going up to Asian Games 2010 where Women's Rugby 7s is being included for the first time!!!


How much do you love rugby? If you had a choice to represent Singapore in another sport, what would it be?
I love rugby so much that i don't wanna give it up! (Really! If i could haha) I would want to represent Singapore in shooting, because they are really able to keep calm and focused.