Song Koon Poh (born 1954[1]) is a Singaporean former national rugby player who represented Singapore from 1972 to 1991. He captained the national team from 1976 to 1977, 1979–81 & 1984–87.

Career

Song started playing rugby during his secondary school days in Victoria School. In 1978, Song won the Singapore national Sportsman of the Year award.[1]

Song was also the secretary for Singaporean rugby club, Blacks Rugby Football Club.[2]

He was captain of the national team from 1976-1977, & 1979-1981 In 1982, Song toured South Africa with Tokkie's Dragons. He was the only Asian picked to tour apartheid South Africa in an invitational "Rest of the World" team.[3] After the tour, Song was banned for life by the Singapore Rugby Union for violating the Gleneagles Agreement.[1]

In August 1983, Song was appointed the Singapore national rugby union team's caretaker coach till November.[4]

On 1 January 1984, Song's ban was lifted by the Singapore Rugby Union.[5] Later in August, he was selected to play for the national rugby team in the MRU Cup.[6]

Post rugby, Song became a trader-broker in the petrol-chemical industry.[7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "LET'S PLAY IT AGAIN, SONG!". Singapore Monitor. 25 January 1983. p. 27. Retrieved 20 June 2023 – via NewspaperSG.
  2. ↑ "Silver wish for Blacks". New Nation. 23 March 1980. p. 30. Retrieved 21 June 2023 – via NewspaperSG.
  3. ↑ "An Honour, Rather than a Disgrace': Song Koon Poh, Apartheid Rugby, Tokkie's Dragons and the Politics of Dissent and Confession: The International Journal of the History of Sport: Vol 38, No 10-11 (tandfonline.com)". 29 September 2021.
  4. ↑ "Song is caretaker coach". Singapore Monitor. 11 August 1983. p. 5. Retrieved 20 June 2023 – via NewspaperSG.
  5. ↑ "THE PRESENT". The New Paper. 9 March 1992. p. 35 – via NewspaperSG.
  6. ↑ Jalleh, Ken Jr (31 August 1984). "Song picked to play in MRU Cup opener". Singapore Monitor. p. 2 – via NewspaperSG.
  7. ↑ "Rugby Good Times". The New Paper. 20 September 2008. p. 53.
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