In many ways, the Sullivan household is the quintessential big family – busy, chaotic and as beautifully messy as you would imagine a clan with four growing boys to be.
Whether it is work, school, or National Service, a look at the family’s schedule can be overwhelming for the uninitiated.
But in the midst of it all, there is a common thread that weaves in and out of their lives, banding this tribe together tighter than a stable scrum.
Rugby.
To say that rugby is a family affair, or that it plays an outsize role in the Sullivans’ lives would be an understatement. On and off the pitch, the sport is at the heart of everything they do.
The love affair began with Dad Adam, who was introduced to the sport as an 11-year-old in his native England. When kids came along, it was only natural for the aerospace insurance broker to pass his lifelong passion down.
While Mum Avril does not play, her involvement with rugby off the turf is arguably the deepest in the family – not simply because she nurtured four sons who are all active players.
As director of the Titans Rugby Football Club, the 41-year-old has for years played an integral role in giving children in Singapore as young as six their first taste of the sport.
On the pitch, 22-year-olds Roy and Lucky are members of the Singapore national rugby team, a commitment that means training four times a week. Jerry, also 22, plays recreationally up to twice a week.
Meanwhile, 20-year-old Taine, now serving his National Service, is a regular rugby content creator and has been a host at HSBC Singapore Rugby Sevens since 2018.
Said Avril: “We all have different preferences, but rugby is really the common thing that we do together.
“There are so many aspects to it too – the competitive part, but also the behind-the-scenes stuff. Rugby is something everybody can get around. It plays a massive part in our lives, on so many levels.”
Weekends for the Sullivans are unsurprisingly rugby-centric.
Saturdays are often game days for the boys, who play for the Singapore Cricket Club, so the family is usually found rallying around each other on the Padang field.
The next day, the household can be found bright and early at UWC Dover, driving the numerous training sessions that Titans RFC runs across age groups from Under-6s to the Under-17s.
But the Sullivans will also be the first to tell you that this is just one of the many ways rugby is accessible to the masses, and that anyone can easily find a route into the sport if they are so inclined to.
The Singapore Rugby Union oversees many clubs catering to both men and women islandwide. At the junior level, there are also groups for boys and girls. The sport has a storied history at the National School Games, and the various division finals held under the National Stadium dome is routinely one of the most anticipated events of the annual school sports calendar.
Said Avril: “Rugby is obviously a bit of a niche sport in Singapore, but it’s a very accessible one. The community is incredibly welcoming once you get into it.”
And when you’re in, that bond is for life, something the Sullivan family will attest to. In their case, relationships formed on the field have led to connections, networks and opportunities away from it.
“For us, it’s great to see your kids grow up (in the sport) and go into their own things,” said Avril. “It also gives us a lot of opportunities to spend time with our friends who are also rugby parents – it’s always a great weekend out.”
From school fields to the Padang pitch, the Sullivans have no shortage of rugby memories islandwide. The ones they have made over the years at the Singapore Sports Hub, however, hold a special place.
These have come largely courtesy of the fact that Singapore has been a regular host of World Rugby’s Sevens Series, starting from the first edition in 2002.
Singapore Sevens weekend is when the Sullivans come out in full force, ready to party at the National Stadium.
They have cheered on from the stands as fans – sometimes dressed in costumes – and also played roles in delivering events themselves.
For two Sullivans, there is also a particularly meaningful piece of the puzzle: playing on the National Stadium turf.
Taine did so in 2019, when he took part in the Titans Ruck n Rumble final that took place alongside that year’s edition of the Singapore Rugby Sevens.
It remains one of his top rugby moments.
“It was just so fun,” recalled Taine. “The atmosphere, the people around, cheering you on like you’re one of the national players. Just playing on that field is such a surreal experience, and a great memory to have. I felt like a superstar.”
Lucky, who plays centre for the national team, can vouch for that after two such encounters himself. In fact, he has even experienced lifting a trophy inside the National Stadium, when he won the Under-14 Schools Sevens with St. Andrew’s Secondary School in 2017.
“Being able to play there in front of my family and friends is just such a special feeling. It’s something I hold very dear to my heart and something I’m very grateful for,” said Lucky, who was also part of the Temasek Polytechnic squad that competed in the 2023 POL-ITE tournament.
Avril, who has run many events such as kids clinics at the Singapore Rugby Sevens, said it is an occasion that offers unique access to the sport, whether it’s by grassroots participation or through watching high performance rugby.
She said: “What’s amazing about it is that you get up close and personal with the players, because of how the seating is structured. Players come round, they sign autographs, and you see the kids get so excited.”
Said Roy: “There are some pockets where we just enjoy the atmosphere – that’s my favourite. We’re just chilling, a song comes on, and everyone starts singing.”
Fun and games aside, Roy said rugby has only become an even greater asset over the years as he and his brothers get older, and “life” increasingly gets in the way.
He said: “It’s a lot of memories for us to keep for a lifetime, a lot of traditions to build on and maintain along the way. We’re young adults now, getting busier, and we all have different schedules. But we always come down on the weekends when we have a game, and that brings us all back together, and that’s really nice.”
“When we first started at the junior level, Dad always told us that rugby is more than just a sport. I can see it now.
“It’s the people you meet along the way, the discipline, the work ethic… it all comes into place. I would love to see huge growth in the rugby community here. It’s one of the best sports anyone could have.”
