School sports: St Andrew's win C Division rugby crown, deny ACS (I) title treble

The match between the two powerhouses is a repeat of last year's final, which ACS (I) won. ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM
The match between the two powerhouses is a repeat of last year's final, which ACS (I) won. ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM
The match between the two powerhouses is a repeat of last year's final, which ACS (I) won. ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM

SINGAPORE - St Andrew's Secondary captured the Schools National C Division rugby title by dethroning defending champions Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) 18-15 in the final on Thursday afternoon.

The victory gives the Saints their first title since 2013, when they defeated the same opponents.

They also denied ACS(I), who had won the A and B Division titles, the treble of all three divisional titles.

At Home Team Academy's pitch, which was swamped with about 600 supporters after the final whistle, a jubilant St Andrew's captain Umar Mohamed Sha'ari exclaimed proudly: "We are champions now, and we destroyed them."

With 11 minutes left to the game, St Andrew's had trailed 13-15. But flanker James Leow landed a try in the 52nd minute, which allowed the Saints to lift the Goh Keng Swee Shield. The 14-year-old said: "I'm very happy to be able to score the winning try, it is a special moment."

Added second rower Chua Wei Li: "It was a great comeback. We showed perseverance, we did not give up even though we were down. It feels so great to be the champions after a year of hard work."

Despite their loss, ACS(I)'s second rower Joshua Tan felt that the team could be proud of their efforts. In June, the team had lost their captain Lam Wei Xuan to injury before the start of the competition. The Secondary 2 boy said: "We improved a lot since our first game and we gave it our best."

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