Rugby club to offer free use of Farrer Park pitch for community sports events after winning state land tender

Having a new homeground in central Singapore will be a boost to both the club and the rugby scene here, said Mr Rakison, noting that the COVID-19 pandemic and the loss of Turf City had been a huge blow.

“Most of the rugby clubs have been very negatively impacted in numbers over the last few years … with about a 15 to 20 per cent reduction in members,” he said.

With the new space, the club is looking to consolidate its junior and youth training sessions, which are currently held at two sites – the Australian International School and Tanglin Trust School. The new pitch will also serve adult rugby players, who have to grapple with a lack of playing space.

Meanwhile, the club also hopes to organise more tournaments and bring in international clubs, like it did during its days in Turf City, to attract new joiners and help its young members grow in the sport.

“We’re trying to make it the heart and soul of the rugby community in Singapore,” said Mr Rakison.

“We are also aware of the lack of space (for sports). Because the location is great, there will be lots of people who want to use it, and we hope to create a bit of an activities hub for all.”

Tanglin Rugby Club’s upcoming facility will be one of several sporting developments in the Farrer Park vicinity.

At Race Course Road, eight pickleball courts will be built in a retrofitted Little India bus terminal. This public facility will officially open in early 2026, based on a recent report by English daily The Straits Times.

Sports facilities, including a jogging track and a sports centre, are also being built as part of a new public housing estate with about 1,600 flats. About 20 per cent of this 10ha site will be set aside for sports and recreational uses, as a nod to Farrer Park’s rich sporting heritage.

Singapore’s limited space and constraints as a city-state has led to a constant tug-of-war between the need for more housing for a growing population, and other land uses.

The recent closure of decades-old St Wilfred Sport Centre in nearby Boon Keng, for one, led to regulars lamenting the loss of another public facility. Private operators are often the next option, but costs for users can be a deterrent.

Moulmein-Cairnhill said its tie-up with Tanglin Rugby Club reflects residents’ feedback for more convenient and accessible sporting facilities close to home.

“The new facilities at Cambridge Road will give families and residents more options to stay active, even as we look forward to the integrated sporting complex at Farrer Park in a few years’ time,” it said.