By Caden Yew, Chelsea Sew, Tan Tzi Teng, Zhou Yuhang

Hey! You! 

Ever wondered what it’s like to try a new team sport? Raffles Ultimate (RU) might just be the place for you! 

Ultimate is a non-contact, self-refereed team sport, involving 7 players in a team. Through communication and persistence, the team will have to successfully pass the disc to a teammate in the end-zone to score a point. 

The crux of Ultimate lies in the ‘Spirit of the Game’—a unique and defining element of the sport. It relies on respect and fair play of all teammates to make calls without the help of a referee. 

Fun-filled for all adrenaline junkies, Ultimate not only hones your sporting abilities  but is also sure to teach you the principles of communication, trust and camaraderie. 

Now that you have learnt more about the game Ultimate, let’s talk about us instead. Yes, not just Ultimate, but Raffles Ultimate! 

The RU family is a close-knit family. Our “hellos” and “goodbyes” are certainly not limited to the field. The tables at the amphitheatre, also known as the ‘Ulti Tables’, a commonplace where RU players connect. It is not uncommon to see RU members hang out even on non-CCA days! It is a place close to our hearts – where we bond over meals, where we share our joys and sorrows, and where we suffer together in misery as we concede to a slew of unsolvable math questions. Our RU family also extends to our graduated players. Throughout the many years RU has been around, we have established a strong culture where alumni have many opportunities to return to the school. These opportunities include Gryphon Recall – a day when players from previous batches (as old as 15 years ago)  engage in a friendly game of Ultimate. The alumni also play a pivotal role in our CCA sessions. From time to time, alumni players will assist our training sessions,  passing  down their valuable expertise in the sport and  sharing treasured memories along the way. RU players are also prominent in the Singapore Ultimate scene, with 14 of them representing Singapore at this year’s World Ultimate Club Championships! 

One of the highlights of the RU journey is the Inter-Junior College Competition (IJCs).  Every year, we will put our skills to the test at the IJCs, of which our school has  the most first-place finishes!  This feat did not come about with ease: it should be  credited to the hard work and resolve of RU players and our highly respected coach Benjamin Ho. He has been coaching RU for nearly 10 years and is renowned in the Ultimate community. He coaches at several schools and is also the head coach of the Singapore U24 Ultimate team – so you are sure to be in good hands!

Now you may be wondering, what do we do during training? Official training sessions are typically held on Mondays from 1545 to 1745 at the Gryphon Courts, and on Wednesdays from 0730 to 1030 at the Main Field. Besides the frequent drills and scrimmages, other highlights include our weekly runs and of course our extra self-initiated training sessions—as Ultimate enthusiasts, we never fail to use any pockets of time to get in some reps!

Interested but have no experience in Ultimate? Fret not! Ultimate in Raffles is a developmental sport, so you still stand a chance to pass the trials even if you’ve never touched a frisbee before.  But for the RU journey to be fulfilling, one must be committed and be ready to go above and beyond, as we pride ourselves on grit, tenacity and discipline. As long as you are driven and willing to work hard, we welcome you with open arms!

Got what it takes to be in RU? Join us now!