By Aidan Tan (27A01D) and Christian Adriel Tan (26S07B)

Photographs provided by Christine Zhu (27S03G) unless otherwise stated.

DEJA VU

A year ago, Raffles Netball stood where every team hoped to be: NSG champions, after a commanding 13-8 win against ACJC. One season later, they are standing once against ACJC again in the semi-finals, a fixture carrying an unmistakable sense of deja vu. 

The spectators, perhaps rightfully, almost always give their most attention to the finals: the last round of the game; the arbitrator of who’s the best. But turn your attention to the more unforgiving semis, and the tension is no less palpable. 

You’re in that precarious position where you’re within a whisker of being on the podium. Win, and you’re guaranteed a podium victory. Lose, and you’re relegated to the bronze medal match. Falter on the penultimate step to victory, and you must still collect yourself and give it all once more to leave the season with something to show. 

That day, it was either RI or ACJC who would falter—and unlike last year’s final, no consolation of a silver medal was waiting on the other side of defeat.

Raffles Netball preparing themselves before the fateful semis match.

POISED FOR SUCCESS

Just as the semis match would prove unforgiving, so too is the game of netball itself. 

In netball, speed is everything. Sprint into a space on a court before your opponent catches up to you. Get close enough for a teammate to pass you the ball, but neither close nor predictable enough for a defender to step in and intercept. Once you catch the ball, stop. 

Do you know where all your teammates are? Who is within reach to catch your ball? How do you throw to make sure that your opponents don’t intercept? 

Stop. You’re out. By the time you finish reading those questions, the referee’s whistle has cut through the air, your teammates sigh in disappointment, and the ball now belongs to the other side. 

In netball, once a player catches a ball, they must land properly and pass within three seconds. Those slim margins shaped the outcome of the semis: at the end of the first quarter, RI trailed ACJC by just one point—19-20. 

By half-time, they had drawn level at 30-30. These were scores that afforded so little room for error that even the smallest lapse in judgement could cause a team to crack under pressure. Poise—that was what either team would need to come out victorious. 

Even so, the pressure RI faced was insurmountable:

That commendable determination to be poised and to adapt showed throughout the match. Yet adaptation could only bring them so far. Against ACJC who similarly gave it their all, RI fought to remain composed. However, in a match defined by slim margins, they ultimately fell 36-38. They had risen high to the occasion, but not quite high enough to escape defeat.

After the final whistle, both teams exchanged handshakes across the court, the tension of the match giving way to a subdued display of sportsmanship.

GOING OUT WITH A BANG

Despite the loss, the Netballers kept their heads high and looked forward to their next (and final) match. Simultaneously, they acknowledged the bittersweet emotions that came with their Raffles Netball journey coming to an end.

On the 25th of May, our Netballers arrived at Jurong East Sports Centre in high spirits, hoping to bring their season to a memorable close.

Netballers in action during the 3rd-4th placing against NYJC. Source: @ming.photo on Instagram

Facing off against Nanyang Junior College (NYJC), they fought through the 3rd-4th placing match with grit and tenacity. 

Even with the mounting pressure on the court, the stands were alive with an electric energy. Armed with paper clappers and drums, the Rafflesian supporters orchestrated a deafening wall of sound, cheering the players on fervently through every gruelling minute of the game. 

Despite eventually missing out on a top-three placing (final score of 39-42), the season was by no means a failure in the Netballers’ eyes.

A SEASON SHAPED BY ADVERSITY

To appreciate what this season meant to the team, you’d have to understand the challenges they had to overcome.

Injuries plagued the squad throughout the season, forcing many more inexperienced Y5s to step up into roles they hadn’t expected to fill. Instead of letting this break them, they persevered and allowed it to build them as a team.

“We managed to find the silver lining in this (setbacks) and came out stronger as a team. It definitely wasn’t easy, and there were many times where morale was low, and the team felt discouraged,” echoed Tyra. “Despite this, we chose not to dwell on our past mistakes and instead use them as learning experiences to improve our play for the next games.”

SAME TIME NEXT YEAR?

For the Year 6s, this was the final chapter of their time with Raffles Netball. 

Year 6s at their last CCA session. Source: @raffles_netball_ on Instagram

When asked about the most memorable part of the season, Team Captain Tan Yan Ting Japhanie (26A01E) immediately said, “Our last CCA session, as it was one where everyone was truly having fun, something that was getting rarer given the stress this season was bringing. There was also a beautiful sunset that everyone rushed out to take photos of, and we did a final cheer before our very last game together.”

On the other hand, things were just getting started for the Y5s.

Given the big role they played this season, the batch now has much more experience under their belts. This will undoubtedly play a crucial role in next year’s results.

The results have also left them wanting more:

Ultimately, the scoreboard may not have favoured Raffles Netball this year, but in the moments that mattered most, this team of 15 showed everybody exactly who they were. While we bid farewell to the outgoing batch of Y6s, we wish all the best to the Y5s for next year’s games as well!