“People think you have to be underwater all the time. That’s not true.” That’s the first thing Genevieve Yeo, who works in haircare marketing, wants you to know.
It’s a sport that sounds extreme on paper – rugby – but played entirely beneath the surface of a pool. Breath-holding, physical contact, a weighted ball, and a goal that sits at the bottom. But speak to the athletes who play it, and a different narrative emerges: one of accessibility, community, and a quietly growing subculture in Singapore.
Welcome to underwater rugby.
A Sport Played in All Directions
Underwater rugby is exactly what it sounds like, yet nothing like you’d expect.
Played six-a-side, the objective is simple: get a saltwater-filled ball into a basket fixed at the bottom of the pool. But unlike traditional sports, this one operates in three dimensions.
“You can pass not just left and right, but also up and down,” explained dentist Dr Shane Soo, who has been in the sport for over a decade. “That adds a completely different dimension to the game.”
Everything happens underwater. Players dive, wrestle for possession, and surface only briefly before rotating with teammates. The ball never breaks the surface.
But despite how intense it sounds, the rhythm of the game is surprisingly manageable.
“You have a buddy,” said Yeo. “I go underwater for maybe five or six seconds, then I come up, and my partner goes down. You don’t need to hold your breath for that long.”
From Curiosity to Commitment
For many, the entry point into underwater rugby is almost accidental.
Yeo first encountered it while at a swimming complex. “I saw a bunch of people underwater trying to put a ball into a basket. I thought it was interesting and once I tried it, I got hooked.”
Dr Soo’s journey was similar. Introduced by colleagues due to his background in water polo, he quickly realised this wasn’t just another aquatic sport.
“It was very different from anything I had played before. That’s what kept me going for so long.”
Even newcomers like Dilys Hor and Wang Mingzhe – who have been playing for about two years – echo the same sentiment.
“It’s physically demanding, very challenging, and not boring at all,” said clinical dietitian Hor. “Every session, I learn something new.”
More Than a Sport
At the heart of Singapore’s underwater rugby scene is a team known as FATWR—the First Asian Team Underwater Rugby, founded in 2014.
But it’s not your typical elite squad.
“We’re all quite casual players,” Dr Soo elaborated. “There’s no fixed team. For competitions, we form squads based on availability and interest.”
The group is made up of people from all walks of life: students, insurance agents, architects, designers. There’s no singular athlete profile.
And importantly, it’s largely self-funded.
Players cover their own equipment, training, and travel costs. On average, that can come up to about S$1,000 a year, excluding overseas competitions.
“It’s a sport that requires commitment,” Dr Soo admitted. “But people are willing to invest their time and money because they genuinely enjoy it.”
A Community That Extends Beyond the Pool
What keeps people coming back isn’t just the sport, it’s the people.
“For us, it’s not just going through day-to-day life,” said Wang. “We talk about how we did during training. It gives us more to connect over.”
For him and his fiance Hor, underwater rugby has even strengthened their relationship.
“It gives us more shared experiences,” he added. “More things to talk about beyond just everyday routines.”
This sense of connection is echoed across the team. Whether it’s post-training conversations or travelling together for competitions, the sport builds a bond that goes beyond performance.
Breaking the Barriers to Entry
Perhaps the biggest misconception about underwater rugby is that it’s only for strong swimmers or elite athletes.
That couldn’t be further from the truth.
“You don’t even need to be a swimmer,” Yeo said. “You just need to learn how to duck dive properly.”
The sport is designed to be inclusive. Members range from teenagers to seniors in their 60s and 70s.
“If you’re fairly comfortable in water, you can join,” Hor added. That accessibility is something the team is actively trying to highlight.
“I want people to know that this sport is very approachable,” she said. “Anyone can play.”
Looking Ahead
Despite being relatively niche in Singapore, underwater rugby has already taken its players across the world from Australia to Europe, competing in tournaments like the Champions Cup in Berlin.
But the bigger goal isn’t just international exposure, it’s regional growth.
“I hope we can spread this sport more within Southeast Asia,” said Dr Soo. “So we have more teams to play with.”
There’s also an ambition to compete at higher levels, against the world’s best. And if the current community is anything to go by, the foundation is already there.
The Reality Beneath the Surface
Underwater rugby may not have the visibility of mainstream sports, but it offers something different, something raw.
It challenges your physical limits, forces you to trust your teammates, and strips communication down to instinct and awareness.
But more than anything, it’s a reminder that not all sports need to be widely understood to be deeply meaningful.
Sometimes, all it takes is five seconds underwater to realise – you don’t have to hold your breath forever.
