Hockey is not a game for the faint-hearted. It demands much out of those who play it, but the experience it gives you is unlike any other. The two unforgettable years that you will have in hockey will give you a real taste of playing a team sport while training your discipline, fitness and coordination.

Beyond the technical details about the sport, what Hockey really gives you is a chance to grow with and experience all the pain, tears and joy with a group of teammates that will eventually become as close as family. Camaraderie and all the small things that come with being a team are huge parts of playing Hockey. It is as important as any level of skill or fitness and is our focus here in Raffles Hockey. We aim to develop a team of tight-knit players who share their time together not just during the sport, but in all other things in their lives. Apart from individual excellence, we hope to have a team which looks out for each other, where no member is left behind.

Our training sessions usually take place twice a week for three hours each, however as it nears our season, we will train three times a week. The “A” Division competition begins between April and May and lasts for around a month. Selection involves a simple trial held in the beginning of the year and all are extremely welcome to try out! In the trial, general fitness and form with the ball will be assessed, though it is really just about letting everyone there get a feel of the game and how it works. Some things to note if you’re interested in joining hockey is that equipment required for the game is minimal. Just three items are required- a hockey stick, shoes and shin pads. Sticks come in all styles and colours and will become a personal signature when you play- almost just like an extension of your body. If you are unsure about where to get these items, do not worry! Your seniors will be more than happy to guide you through the process.

All in all, hockey is not just a sport … it’s a lifestyle. Joining hockey will undoubtedly bring you through one of the best and most exciting journeys of your life. You will experience many highs and lows, heartbreaks and joys, and in the end you may or may not achieve success in the A Division competition. However, what is certain is that the bonds you make and the fun you have with the team are things that will stay with you through the rest of your life. After all, it’s the journey that counts, and doing it as a team, side by side with people you’ll grow to trust and depend on, makes it a wonderful one no matter what the end result is. Even when you’re fifty, we’re sure the experiences that you have in Raffles Hockey will still be held close to your heart. So come join us, and make “we” become “ours”.

Ever thought of becoming the next Oliver Queen, Legolas Greenleaf or Katniss Everdeen? Well then please make your way to Raffles Players’ trials to fulfill your dreams of a career in Hollywood! Back to reality. While Archery may seem like an effortless walk in the park, the truth is far from it. Like all sports (except volleyball), tireless effort and consistent practice has to be put in for one to excel in the sport. If you are not afraid of handstand pushups and getting hit by arrows, read on. No pressure.

Official trainings are on Wednesday and Friday from 3pm to 6pm, though you are encouraged to go to an external archery range on weekends.

Since the official training duration is relatively short compared to that of most sport CCAs, every second of training is absolutely precious. Archery trainings are enjoyable and exciting, yet we demand high levels of commitment and discipline. During the first half of the year or so, trainings will mostly entail physical training and lessons on basic shooting techniques, but don’t be discouraged! Even though the start of the archery journey is rather bumpy and rough like a bad case of acne, the joy of shooting you will savour in the next few months makes up for all the arduous trainings you have to endure.

There are a few things to take note of before you join us in our quest for glory. Firstly, our Archers should be prepared to purchase personal bows and equipment with a price range of $2000-$3000. But don’t worry, as there are financial avenues to tap on should you need them. You can also purchase second-hand bows which are much cheaper and can cost less than $1500. Secondly, archery may not be considered for the National Colours Award in 2015 as it is currently not recognized by the Singapore Schools Sports Council (SSSC). This is subject to change, nevertheless, there will be an inter-school competition hosted by Archery Association of Singapore (AAS) every year.

Our peak periods are January, March and April. We have an annual overseas competition in Thailand in mid to late January and our inter-school competition is in late April. Hence, you may want to keep those periods free to study and train consistently!

Lastly, let us introduce to you our archery coach, Ken. Although he may seem slightly intimidating and more-than-slightly insane, he is actually a fantastic coach and caring mentor, so please don’t be scared to approach him!

Even though Archery is generally considered an individual sport, we place high importance in teamwork and unity. We firmly believe that while excelling in the sport is of utmost priority, the friendships and bonds that are forged within our team are equally important. As a team, we train hard and play hard together. We assist one another by offering advice, pointing out errors and competing in a friendly manner.

So, if you think you have what it takes to join our team of champions, come and prove it at the Raffles Archery trials. See you there.

Any S03 student will tell you a primer is a strand of nucleic acid that serves as a starting point for DNA synthesis. But, what is a BB primer?  You must be wondering what primers even mean. “Primers” is borrowed from a structured program for 16-18 year old youths administered by The Boys’ Brigade in Singapore (BB). We are a relatively young CCA under RJC, established in 2012 after many cohorts of graduating Year 4s from RI (Y1-4) BB and RGS Girls’ Brigade decided to continue to serve as Primers in RI BB.

Primers primarily teach and plan. Since we serve at RI BB, we are effectively tasked with imparting skills that are required for the boys in RI BB to attain core badges. For instance, for the Adventure badge, we teach boys how to construct simple tents, map navigation and knot tying skills, which are applied in a 3D2N March Adventure Camp. We organize competition trainings for boys, like Drill Competition, which of course require more commitment such as over a whole term compared to just badge lesson planning alone which is generally less intensive. If the technical knowledge seems daunting, fret not because there are adult officers who are very helpful and would be there to guide you along.

In teaching, relationships matter. To a large extent, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” If you choose to commit to this CCA, be prepared to invest time in building friendships with your mentees, namely the boys under your charge.

CCA times for RI BB are 4-6pm on Mondays and Wednesdays. Other intensive periods would be competition seasons which effectively run all year round due to the back-to-back competitions RI BB participates in.  A nice perk about BB primers is that the commitment level and commitment dates are much more flexible than other CCAs. You will get to chose what you would like to teach or which competition training you would like to helm, or perhaps even multiple roles. Also as a teacher, the dates you chose to teach the lessons are much more fluid.

What our entire batch of 21 primers (Year 5s ‘14) can attest to is the friendships we have strengthened as we moved on to JC together as well as making new friends with our newly found batchmates coming from the other campus, either Bishan or Orchard.

FAQ 1: Can girls join? What if I wasn’t part of the BB programme in Secondary School?

Yes! In fact, approximately half of our batch is made up of female primers. The Primers programmes also caters to youths who did not have the opportunity to join the BB before. Don’t be too worried about experience; the graduating batch of primers and officers will be there to guide you, and so will your fellow batchmates!

FAQ 2: How does it count towards the Raffles Diploma and other awards?

The program culminates in the Anchor Award (RD Merit) which is attained by many Primers after completing a certain number of hours of service, attending courses and participating in an adventure expedition. This runs in parallel with the NYAA Gold award in a way that the two awards can be simultaneously pursued. Finally, the President’s Award (RD Distinction) is the pinnacle of the Primers Programme, awarded to a handful of Primers who have distinguished themselves in leadership and service.

One of the 4 service CCAs in RI, Interact has a large focus on direct service. We believe that the personal touch profoundly changes both our own lives and those of the people we serve.

An Interactor’s time in the club will be one that is jam-packed and exciting. All Interactors are attached to service centres (SCs) where they have weekly service sessions with our beneficiaries. We serve a diverse range of people in our community, from children who come from less privileged backgrounds to the elderly. Service is never boring as members are encouraged to go the extra mile and take the initiative to organize their own unique programmes in collaboration with their respective SCs.

Every Interactor is also involved in planning at least one major club event: Interact Camp, Youth Got Heart, Dine in the Dark and a new addition, the Singapore Youth Interactors’ Symposium. Interact Camp introduces the true meaning of service to our new J1s; the Singapore Youth Interactors’ Symposium brings like-minded Interactors from around Singapore together, strengthening bonds and in turn strengthening our heart for service; Youth Got Heart and Dine in the Dark reach out to the general public.

Moreover, Interactors go down for club service once every few months. In 2014, we helped out in the Stop Bedbugs Now programme (a house-cleaning project) and at the Elderly Service Network’s annual carnival for the elderly. Club service is one of the many ways through which we bond as a CCA and get to know each other better while serving the community. Ad-hoc service opportunities are also regularly offered for those who wish to sign up individually or with a group of CCA-mates.

Besides local events, Interact has an annual International Understanding (IU) Trip, an overseas service learning trip where a team of interactors go abroad to serve an overseas community. This is so that Interactors can open their eyes to the wider world and challenge their previous notions of service — after all, Interact stands for “International Action”! This year, we were able to go to Phnom Penh to serve at the UNCAS Home. During this IU trip, our greatest takeaway was not how to raise funds more efficiently or to better “help” people — it was our newfound understanding of the community’s motivations and tenacity, which allowed us to better empathise and not sympathise.

For us Interactors, service is always enjoyable because we do it together — as part of our service-centre groups, self formed teams, or even as an entire club. Interact is a big CCA, with around 80 people per batch. This gives us the opportunity to meet like-minded friends, and take on large-scale projects that would otherwise not be possible. Furthermore, Interact is part of a larger network of clubs around Singapore, so you may meet Interactors from diverse backgrounds. At Stop Hunger Now, over 350 interactors from different schools came together to pack over 8000 meals!

Interactors are not defined by their numerous hours dedicated to service nor the multitude of events that they have participated in, but rather by their passion to serve and their will to learn. After all, the best moments in service are those when you begin to understand more about yourself, when you truly understand why you are doing what you are doing, and when you can finally understand someone else. If you think such an experience is for you, consider becoming one of us!

Interactors have 2 CCA days a week — General Meetings on Wednesday, and one other day to visit their service centre. Commitment is spread out over the year, though the majority of club events are held in Semester 1.

We want you. Yes, you with the burning passion to unleash that inner beastmode in a sport that requires determination, strength and stamina.

Have you heard of Touch Rugby? Though it has the word, “Rugby” in it, Rugby and Touch Rugby are two very different sports! Unlike conventional Rugby, Touch is a limited-contact sport with the tackling of opposing players replaced by a touch. Each attack consists of only 6 touches, before possession of the ball changes over. Every time a touch is made, defenders have to back 5 metres before they can proceed to make another touch.

In Raffles Touch Rugby, we train really hard to constantly improve as a team and foster a strong, undefeated team spirit. Working cohesively together as a team is no easy feat, especially under great pressure and physical demands. But the amazing team spirit built within each batch fills each “Trugger” with the passion and zeal we need to pull through and carry on.

Touch Rugby may be a completely alien sport to many of you now. You may be unsure as to what the trainings will entail and whether you will enjoy the sport. But rest assured, you’re not alone! Most, if not all of us, were new to the sport prior to joining Touch. As long as you keep an open mind, are keen to learn, and don’t mind getting muddy at times (it’s fun, really!), there’s no reason why you shouldn’t join us and give this sport a try! With our very friendly, approachable, and talented coach, Weigen, who is always there to provide encouragement and support, there is simply nothing to fear!

Some prerequisites include being agile and having ball sense. These are very important in the sport and will be tested during the trials. Some drills that will be tested during the trials are agility ladder, sprints and lateral passing. Besides agility and speed, communication with your teammates is very crucial in Touch. It is certainly challenging and tiring to have to communicate with one another throughout the game, but being vocal further contributes to the clarity of roles and effectiveness of teamplay on field!  There will be plenty of opportunities to brush up on these skills during our trainings, which are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4.30pm to 6.30pm. The intensity of trainings will increase prior to season and matches.

We get the opportunity to participate in various competitions, the most important being the JC League held from March to May. The other tournaments include the NTU Touch Attack, Todaks Dive Touch, Clifford Chance Touch Championship and Asian All Schools Championship. These tournaments provide us with the opportunity to put our skills to the test and learn many lessons on field.

Before we end off, here’re some honest words from the bottom of our hearts…

“Touch has been a great sport to pick up and the experience has been really enriching. Although trainings can be challenging, especially after a tiring day at school, the support that my team offers is a great encouragement and I’m truly grateful to be part of the Touch Rugby family!” – Riddhi Anbalagan, 15S03D

“I certainly had my doubts and fears about picking up this new sport, and there are times even now when I wonder whether I made the right decision to join Touch! It hasn’t been easy, but it has given me the opportunity to try something new and push myself to my limits alongside a family of passionate and supportive teammates, which I’m very thankful for!!” – Rachel Kwek, 15S03E

“I like Touch as it gives me the opportunity to grow not just as an athlete but also as a person!! It pushes me to move out of my comfort zone and helps to train me to be more situationally aware.” -Mazie Tan, 15SO3J

“Touch has been a breath of fresh air for me since day one!! I am constantly challenged to push beyond my boundaries and achieve better results not just as an individual, but more importantly, as a team.” – Rita Lee, 15SO3P

At this point, we hope you’re all hyped up and ready to join us! See you at the field for a free-of-charge mud spa!