“When 12 men tussle for a ball filled with saltwater, things can get a little rough,” says underwater rugby player Foo Zi Xiang.
Fortunately, safety is a priority in the game, and violent play is frowned upon.
“The referee is on the lookout for intentional manhandling and will call you out if he sees it. The worst I’ve seen is scratch marks, which happens when we accidentally dig our nails into someone’s hand while trying to grab the ball,” adds the computer science graduate.
Zi Xiang’s foray into underwater sports began during his National Service days when he was enlisted as a naval diver and subsequently discovered freediving. He was later introduced to the underwater rugby scene, then a burgeoning one.
Good breath-hold and being comfortable underwater, skills he chalked up from his freediving experience, has made a huge difference, says the 25-year-old.
“One of the very first things you learn if you want to play underwater rugby, is holding your breath. Generally, the less often you resurface to catch your breath, the less likely you’ll miss an important play underwater. You learn to take calculated risks and make better decisions.”
As a pioneer member of the First Asian Team Underwater Rugby team, Zi Xiang has represented Singapore in the 2016 Pan Pacific Cup in Australia and in the 2018 Champions Cup in Germany.
“It has been six years since I first started, but I’m still learning. I am constantly tweaking my play style. For the most part, because of my smaller size, I try to avoid the players rather than tackle them. That’s similar to a winger in rugby,” he explains.
When there’s a will, there’s a wave
Underwater sports in the new normal
Zi Xiang resumed training in Phase Two of Singapore’s exit from the Circuit Breaker but in recent months, he’s managed to train three times a week again.
With restrictions on the number of players allowed per session, the underwater rugby game format has had to be tweaked.
“We used to be able to play in teams of six. Now we can only play four-a-side. This makes the game much more tiring, but it’s still fun!” he says.
A bright spot amid the pandemic for him? More time to coach others keen on learning a new sport.
“People who can’t travel yearn for novel experiences, and interest in underwater rugby has spiked. There are newcomers in our club.”
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This story was published in the Aug-Sep 2021 issue of HEY!. To read it and other stories from this issue in print, click here.
