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

SINGAPORE: A rugby club will open its upcoming pitch in central Singapore for free community use, after snagging the tender for the state land in Farrer Park.

The 15,016 sq m parcel, bordered by Norfolk Road, Carlisle Road and Cambridge Road, was awarded to Tanglin Rugby Club in August last year at a monthly rent of S$25,000 (US$19,123), according to information found on the Singapore Land Authority’s (SLA) website. 

Construction is underway at the site, once home to Cambridge Primary School before it closed more than two decades ago.

When completed in early 2026, the facility will feature a full-sized rugby pitch, three five-a-side football pitches and a clubhouse, which will be open to the public.

Responding to CNA's queries, the office of the Moulmein-Cairnhill division said it was collaborating with Tanglin Rugby Club to secure public pitch usage for community programmes on Saturday mornings.

Moulmein-Cairnhill will also work with the club to promote rugby through try-outs and volunteer coaching sessions, according to a joint emailed reply over the weekend.

Moulmein-Cairnhill is part of the Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency. Its Member of Parliament Alvin Tan, who is Minister of State for Trade and Industry and National Development, has over the year shared multiple social media updates on the development.

Last month, following a meeting with Tanglin Rugby Club, he said the land will be transformed into a “space for sports and community activities” that will benefit residents.

Speaking to CNA separately last week, club president Toby Rakison said community use was a key part of the club’s plans for its new space.

“We're taking a piece of land away from the local people, so we have to ensure that … they get access to it,” he said. “They will definitely get it free of charge as our commitment to the community.”

Outside of free timeslots allocated for community events, the public can book pitch use online at “standard booking fees”, which will "help the operator cover the cost of maintaining the grounds”, said the joint reply, without stating prices.

But Mr Rakison said that as a not-for-profit organisation, Tanglin Rugby Club's booking fees will be “reasonably priced”.

Noting strong demand for sporting facilities in Singapore, he said his club’s new home will cater to rugby as well as the likes of football, cricket and baseball.

There is also “a little bit more space” for other uses, he added, and the club is seeking approval to hold activities that would appeal to the broader community, such as retirees.

“HEART AND SOUL” OF THE COMMUNITY

Set up in 2005, Tanglin Rugby Club offers both contact and touch rugby training for youths aged 18 and below. Its community is about 2,000-people strong, including parents and alumni members.

The club operated out of Turf City recreational hub until the site’s closure in end-2023. The state land at Farrer Park was one of several sites put up through public tenders as relocation options for affected Turf City tenants.

SLA information showed that the land at Farrer Park is for sports facilities only, and must have a full-sized rugby-sized pitch. Ancillary retail and food and beverage uses are allowed, up to a cap of 50 sq m.

Tanglin Rugby Club has secured the land on a five-year lease, with an additional tenancy term of four years. It is investing “significant amounts of money” to ensure the pitches are equipped with the best grass and turf.

Mr Rakison declined to comment on the funding for the S$25,000 rent, or how much is being invested in total, but said the club was “fortunate enough to be in the position to have the resources” to secure the 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.