The year was 1998.

Senior PAP members publicly accused opposition Workers' Party candidate Tang Liang Hong of being an "anti-Christian Chinese chauvinist" spiraling in a series of civil suits against Tang claiming that he had defamed them.

Bombings linked to Osama bin Ladan in Dares Salaam, Tanzania, Nairobi and Kenya killed 224 people and injured over 4,500.

Apple Computer unveiled the iMac.

Geri Halliwell left the Spice Girls.

Whilst thousands of people watched Bill Clinton admit in a taped testimony that he had an "improper physical relationship" with White House intern Monika Lewinsky, Tabitha Fong Sei Yin, six months into her cushy Price Waterhouse Coopers' auditing job, watched her first rugby match on telly.

A fine graduate of Anglican High's Special Assistance Programme (SAP), the ex-badminton and varsity dragon boat rower understandably had never laid eyes on the game of rugby, the preserve of Anglocised mission schools in Singapore. Nevertheless, she was immediately drawn to the physicality of the brutal game and wasted little time in inquiring if there was a women's contact rugby team in Singapore - there was Blacks.

The year is 2005.

Found most often screaming her head off at her junior college girls or boys at the sidelines of any national under 19 tournament and yelling herself hoarse at Blacks trainings at Farrer Park on any given Sunday, the now veteran national player balances not numbers in financial statements but juggles coaching three touch teams, one boys contact team and one badminton team, all on top of her day job as a insurance agent (something to pay the bills, of course).

Giving everything negative that has come her way the "just-watch-it-i'm-going-to-prove-you-wrong" treatment, Fong has turned many criticisms of her game into that which others now draw inspiration. Arguably first-choice pick for stand-off on a good day, Fong has scored more tries for the republic than her hero Wilkinson has for the Newcastle Falcons and England put together since 1988.

Oh… and she converts them too.

There are detractors though, and it is not hard to see why. Never one to feign modesty because convention demands it, Fong will readily take credit where it is due to her. Tact not being her middle name, many regard her blunt honesty as abrasive, her pride in her acheivements as arrogant and her insatiable appetite for winning as distasteful. But every then and again, when you catch her off the pitch gesticulating wildly about a game she's just watched or played, her eyes light up and one is hard-pressed to deny the passion they emanate. Therein perhaps, lies redemption.

As a new player to Blacks in "those days back when", Tabi was always warm, encouraging and ever the contact rugby evangelist, she was elated when some new blood was crazy enough to want to give it a shot.

Just what lengths she will go to improve herself for the game is beyond most and evidently, her 2001 stint with a 1st division Wellington club in New Zealand for a couple of months was far from enough. This July, she ups and leaves again, but this time for the northern hemisphere to seek her rugby fortunes. If all goes according to her hair-brained plan, you may even see her playing for Wales at the Women's Rugby World Cup in 2006. It's a long shot, but I wouldn't put it beyond her.

Although we may not have seen eye to eye on every issue, I, and I suspect others, will miss the sound of her barking on the field, her perspective, her fashion muck-ups, her yeem-jim-ness*, her infectious enthusiasm for everything rugby related and her bloody pigheadedness so.

And so thanks for being that teammate in those great games and for being part of some seriously wonderful memories.

 

*the plague of the accounting profession

 

How did it go with the badminton thing. Why didn't you become the female Susilo equivalent instead?

I was actually approached by one of the China coaches to joining the Singapore Intermediate Squad when I was 17 but because I was carrying a shoulder injury at that time and also because I wanted to concentrate on my A Levels

 

If you were a victim of an alien abduction and were held hostage on a planet where you could only play one game - Badminton, Dragon Boat, Touch or Contact Rugby, which one would it be?

Contact Rugby. You have to think fast on your feet, otherwise you will get "smashed". The adrenaline rush you get when you are able to perform under such intense conditions for the FULL 10-14 minutes (in 7s contact rugby).

 

What's your most memorable rugby moment?

There are 3 very memorable moments:

2004 Asia 7s held in Kazakhstan where Singapore came in 2nd. I scored 11 tries in the competition, the most in my rugby career.

2002 Paulaner Bangkok 7s where we defeated the Royal Australia Navy 12-7. The field was muddy and it was so difficult just to lift your feet off the ground. Brave tackles were made against those strong navy girls by every single one of my teammates. Everybody played her part. A minute before the final whistle blew, I realized that they had no rover behind their first line of defense. I kicked the ball downfield and Eunice and I gave chase. Just before she grounded the ball, the defender tripped her (Hard luck Eunice). I managed to score the try and we WON! We received a standing ovation from the crowd. They were impressed with what they saw. Henceforth, Blacks Womens' RFC was never the same again.

1998 Blacks 7s in Singapore where I scored my first try ever, against a Japanese club. In fact, that try was the only try against Setagaya in the whole competition. Warwick (the then Regional Development Manager of SRU) was so impressed with me that he asked me to join the national training.

 

Who has been the largest influence on your rugby career?

Mr Gene Tong-my first coach and the best coach so far.

He taught me a lot of stuff in my whole rugby career. Although he was not that helpful in the beginning (and I know why), I would say that I respect his decisions. He is a very consistent person.

There was a point in my rugby career where all I wanted to do was to win, even if it means winning by myself. He taught me to see the Big picture- to guide others to reach the same goals and thus making the whole process of winning an enjoyable one and not a stressful journey. From then on, I learnt to exploits my teammates' strengths and work around their weaknesses. He made me a better standoff and I owe it to him.

Another thing he taught me-He is a coach on the field, a friend off the field. I learnt to apply this concept in the teams I coach. I must say, I derive more satisfaction from coaching than many other coaches I know.

 

The hardest thing about rugby is...

1. Getting injured

2. Losing

 

What many people don't know about Tabitha Fong Sei Yin is…

When I first started I cried every night after national training.

Then I had been picked for National training based on my performance against Japan in Blacks 7s 1998. I was a new player and knew nothing about the game except how to tackle, I couldn't catch balls or pass balls, didn't know what a loop or a switch was. The only thing I did right was during the trial before Hong Kong 7s, I made this rear tackle against the guy who was about to score, thereby causing him to knock on. It impressed Warwick and Justin Sampson (the then national men's coach) enough to select me for the National team to Hong Kong 7s 1999. During trainings, I was yelled at by the Team Manager, Yazid Osman. The then captain, Maureen Thompson even came up to me and said "what the F*** are you doing in the national team".

I knew my chances of getting selected for the Hong Kong squad was less than 1 % but I kept going for training. I really enjoyed myself because I loved the game although I didn't know what they were talking about together or what "gaps" were, I only knew this word called "Tackle", which was something I did very well. In fact my ball handling was so bad that even though I was calling for the ball, in my heart all I could think of was "please don't pass to me". I was actually really relieved when it was a skip pass me.

 

You basically gave up a potentially yuppie life for rugby, what has coaching taught you?

I learnt to be patient. I learnt that it is of paramount importance that coaches believe in their players, regardless of their skill level.

Another thing I learnt is that I really enjoy every single moment of coaching. Except for the losing part.

 

Right ... so again, why the obsession with winning?

Some people don't agree with your "do anything to win" attitude/tactics. Sometimes people say winning isn't the most important thing in the game.

I read a book that I think summarizes my feelings on this,"many elite performers can come across as selfish-because they know what they want to do, why they are doing it and they are not going to deviate or be distracted from that" (Mind Games).

You may lose in the beginning when you are not proficient in the game. Once you have mastered it, then winning is crucial. I set out to win first and foremost but enjoying the game is just as important.

 

What do you think it takes to be a great 7s standoff?

1. Good Vision

2. Quick decision making skills

3. Fundamental skills are definitely essential (i.e. 10m pass is the norm and not the exception, as well as kicking)

4. Good communicator

5. Must have the ability to work with teammates. Working with team-mates means understanding their strengths and weaknesses. This means having to work around their weaknesses and exploiting their strengths.

 

Finally, any parting words on Women's Contact Rugby in Singapore?

It may take some time, but I think we can be 1st in Asia for 7s. 15s will take much longer to build up, but where we're at … it's a good start.