St Andrew's School sports field (circa 1967). In the background is the future Potong Pasir Ave 3 area. The foreground is the site of the present school swimming poolOne of the memorable matches still very “fresh in my mind” was the 1972 series. Raffles lost the first-leg at Grange Road by a score of 7-9. That year was a big fiasco for Raffles because we lost the other crowns – the 7s and 15s national championship. The previous year we won all 3 including the KIWI Cup. St Andrew’s School was riding high after beating Singapore American School in both competitions.
As usual, the KIWI Cup was always colored by news of old school boys‘fights. This time we heard from the grapevine that Potong Pasir gangsters would descend on Woodsville ready for a fight, not only against the supporters but to beat-up some of the team players. Already the first-leg at Grange Road saw a fight which was reported in the afternoon daily, “The New Nation”. So we knew trouble was waiting for our school supporters (girls and boys) and the team players because one of the SAINTS players had “defected” over to Raffles and he happened to be my best friend in school. The other person got entangled in the mess because his mother was the senior teacher in Geography at St Andrew’s School. Three of us became “marked” men.
Philip Liau principal of Raffles and Francis Thomas principal of St Andrew’s School, made joint arrangements for police escort for the Raffles supporters into the school and during the match. Never before had I seen so may school prefects and blue- uniformed police on duty as on that day. Raffles supporters arrived by public transport and got off at Opal Crescent. They walked through a small lane (which is now the widened exit road from the PIE into Serangoon Road), avoiding going through Graham White Drive which would have led into the school compound. Passing the St Andrew’s tower, they turned right to enter the SAINTS school field. From a distance one could hear the sound of drums beating “Boom, Boom, Boom” and the bugle call for “Battle”.
It was a like an 11th Century English battle scene with opposing armies on both sides of the school field.
Once you climbed over the low-lying shrubs to get to the school field you could see a sea of flags in the air. There was the “Cross of St. Andrews” nearer to the side of the Kallang River (now the canal separating SAJC from SAS) and the “Eagle and Gryphon of Raffles” on the side of the old school canteen (swimming pool area). There was jeering and screaming. Who else do you think could scream louder than girls? The SAINTS had a much admired mascot, a student named Mary Kwan, whom many said was the girl with the fairest looks and the best set of eyes (Her DNA was Japanese). Gerry N my boy, if you are reading this: congratulations. It finally happened after 30 years because the course of true love never did run smooth! At that time, any SAINTS student in “beyond the knee” blue pleated skirt, white blouse and tie looked anytime better than a student with green skirt and white blouse. Now you know where my wife comes from.
Promptly at 5.15pm, the call of the bugle and the arrival of both school principals saw the kick-off for the KIWI Cup proper. Although both teams did their traditional war-dances - beating their chests, there was one big difference. The SAINTS’ traditional chant of "U-P" UP; "A-N-D" AND; "O-N" ON; "UP AND ON" was in English. The Raffles reply was to do the Maori Hakka of "Ka mate, Ka mate Ka......." Beats me what it meant.
The second-leg ended 9-6 in favor of Raffles and the champion was the school that won the aggregate 1st XV matches in both the home and away games. Raffles won the KIWI Cup with an aggregate score of 16-15.
Here are some pictures of through the years.
As usual, the KIWI Cup was always colored by news of old school boys‘fights. This time we heard from the grapevine that Potong Pasir gangsters would descend on Woodsville ready for a fight, not only against the supporters but to beat-up some of the team players. Already the first-leg at Grange Road saw a fight which was reported in the afternoon daily, “The New Nation”. So we knew trouble was waiting for our school supporters (girls and boys) and the team players because one of the SAINTS players had “defected” over to Raffles and he happened to be my best friend in school. The other person got entangled in the mess because his mother was the senior teacher in Geography at St Andrew’s School. Three of us became “marked” men.
Philip Liau principal of Raffles and Francis Thomas principal of St Andrew’s School, made joint arrangements for police escort for the Raffles supporters into the school and during the match. Never before had I seen so may school prefects and blue- uniformed police on duty as on that day. Raffles supporters arrived by public transport and got off at Opal Crescent. They walked through a small lane (which is now the widened exit road from the PIE into Serangoon Road), avoiding going through Graham White Drive which would have led into the school compound. Passing the St Andrew’s tower, they turned right to enter the SAINTS school field. From a distance one could hear the sound of drums beating “Boom, Boom, Boom” and the bugle call for “Battle”.
It was a like an 11th Century English battle scene with opposing armies on both sides of the school field.
Once you climbed over the low-lying shrubs to get to the school field you could see a sea of flags in the air. There was the “Cross of St. Andrews” nearer to the side of the Kallang River (now the canal separating SAJC from SAS) and the “Eagle and Gryphon of Raffles” on the side of the old school canteen (swimming pool area). There was jeering and screaming. Who else do you think could scream louder than girls? The SAINTS had a much admired mascot, a student named Mary Kwan, whom many said was the girl with the fairest looks and the best set of eyes (Her DNA was Japanese). Gerry N my boy, if you are reading this: congratulations. It finally happened after 30 years because the course of true love never did run smooth! At that time, any SAINTS student in “beyond the knee” blue pleated skirt, white blouse and tie looked anytime better than a student with green skirt and white blouse. Now you know where my wife comes from.
Promptly at 5.15pm, the call of the bugle and the arrival of both school principals saw the kick-off for the KIWI Cup proper. Although both teams did their traditional war-dances - beating their chests, there was one big difference. The SAINTS’ traditional chant of "U-P" UP; "A-N-D" AND; "O-N" ON; "UP AND ON" was in English. The Raffles reply was to do the Maori Hakka of "Ka mate, Ka mate Ka......." Beats me what it meant.
The second-leg ended 9-6 in favor of Raffles and the champion was the school that won the aggregate 1st XV matches in both the home and away games. Raffles won the KIWI Cup with an aggregate score of 16-15.
Here are some pictures of through the years.
Fig 1: Early days of the KIWI Cup played at Bras Basah Road (circa 1967)
Fig 2: KIWI Cup at Bras Basah Road (circa 1971). SAINTS in blue stripped jerseys. Raffles in green-black-white jerseys. Raffles Hotel in the background
Fig 3: Sng Eng Seng the scrum-half of SAINTS with his stylish passing of the ball during the KIWI Cup return leg (circa 1972)
Fig 4: “New Nation” coverage of the fight during the 1st leg at Grange Road (June 2, 1972)
Fig 5: A walk up the steps to the canteen. SAINTS players dispersed after the second leg loss at Woodsville (circa 1972). The old building in the background is still at Woodsville today
Fig 6: Line-out during the 1st Leg at Grange Road (circa 1972). The background is Grange Road. In the background is Teo Han Chua of SAINTS. The other names I can recall are Lim Joon Kiat and Lee Kah Wah of SAINTS. Guess where am I?
The Grange Road site is now occupied by Ministry of Education Teachers Network
Fig 7: Holding the KIWI Cup after 35 years (circa 2007). The Cup is now held by St Andrew’s School after they won in 2007
8 comments:
Peter, that was a fantastic post!
Enjoyed reading it tremendously. I almost felt that I was there.
Where did all that atmosphere go?
Quite funny that the Rafflesians did the Haka though. Last I checked, Raffles was a school in Singapore. =P
P.S. My goodness, you even had an aside to describe the school belle...
thanks Peter for indeed an interesting post - even for a UK reader who is interested in rugby and had no idea it was played to this extent in Singapore - I hope you wait for that cool winter season in which to play it!
Peter. You are 3rd from the right, facing the left with one guy - his left arn around your tummy.
As a regular spectator at Inter-school kayaking and dragon boat competitions, I can assure you that today's school girls can still scream real loud. Once I was standing in front of a group of school girls during during prize presentation when the announcer called out the name of one of their school mates ..... almost burst my ear drum.
Somethings I forgot to add to the article:
1. All the afternoon school-sessions from Sec 1 to Sec 3 classes were promptly dismissed just before recess at 3.40pm. This was to allow students to make their way by public transport from the Capitol Cinema to Woodsville.
Class attendance was taken. "Kiasu" bookworms found MIA (going home instead of going to the game)had to attend "Detention Class" on Saturdays.
I believe the same practice was also introduced by St Andrew's School when their students came down to Grange Road or Bras Basah Road. Classes in Raffles were halted to allow students to watch the game at 5pm.
2. It was not unusual for the police to detain spectators at the Woodsville venue and releasing them after the spectators ha dgone home.
3. Subsequently in later years the use of the drum instrument was banned by both schools. It was believed the use of the drums incited the crowd to be hostile.
4. The last KIWI Cup was played in 1978 and was never to be heard again by future generations of students from both schools until 2005 (almost >25 years).
Peter, you played in the team and was not the one taking the photo? :P
Another question - why was it called the Kiwi Cup? Any connection with New Zealand?
Woh Peter, didn't know you are in Ruby. It was also very dramatic even during my time ('75-'78) at the Jalan Besar Stadium too. Really bringing back wonderful memories.
Nice one Peter! Glad you finally met the cup!
More on the Kiwi Cup, by Yee Teck Peng.
http://www.saints.org.sg/dyk33.cfm
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