Ishraf is lead coach for SCC Rugby Academy’s new dedicated Girls Contact group. Ishraf has been playing rugby since his early school days at ACS (Independent). Back then he was asked to chose a sport. He picked rugby and never looked back.He is now Singapore’s national Rugby Sevens team captain, plays for Singapore’s national Rugby 15s and SCC Prems. He has been coaching rugby for around 7 years in Singapore and the SCC Rugby Academy is proud to have Ishraf on board as lead coach for our new girls group. Ishraf will be supported by our wider team of dedicated and highly qualified coaching team.
Ishraf, why should girls play rugby?
Rugby is definitely a sport for all and girls can have great fun playing. It is a great initiative for the Academy to setup a dedicated girls group. Girls can enjoy rugby as much as boys and there is a great girls and women’s rugby scene in Singapore. My goal is to improve the girls game and make sure they have fun.
What do girls get out of rugby?
Well they could play any sport, but rugby is special. It’s a team sport for a start. It involves lots of values and a team effort, which you don’t get in every sport. Everyone has a job on the pitch and everyone must work together. Contact rugby involves discipline, in attack and in defence. You also need footwork, endurance and good hand-eye coordination. That comes with practice.There’s also commitment on and off the field. You have to put the time and effort in and it will pay off. What you do off the field very much affects your performance. For example, if you have a game the next day, make sure you eat right, get enough sleep and all that.
Some parents might argue contact rugby isn’t for girls – it’s too rough they claim, what would you say to that?
Yes, many times girls want to play but their parents don’t want them to. The main concern that comes into people’s heads is what about if my daughter gets injured. Honestly, rugby is a sport you are braced for impact – in football you can get attacked from the side, from the back and you don’t see someone coming. In rugby you are braced for impact. If you are just starting to play rugby you learn how to fall and how to tackle so there are many safety aspects before you play a full game of rugby. We will teach you all that! Rugby is also a sport for everyone – there really is a position for everyone, in fact 15 to choose from! Everyone fits in!Yes, that’s why I love rugby as a sport for all!
Girls contact training starts on May 18th 2019 at 9.15 AM and runs every Saturday https://sccrugbyacademy.com/girls-contact-rugby/