Down memory lane

Got the picture whilst browsing the internet. It was an old picture of STAR Rugby Team. Cobratasha!! Yeah! Taken way back in 1965!! Talking about rugby, reminded me of how we used thrashed and 'lanyak' the other teams in Ipoh - Anderson n St. Michael (other schools such as Raja Chulan (we called them Chuniks then) or Izzuddin even TI, tak ada team... or tak berani buat team).

There was a story then of how, during one weekend, 3 boys managed to get a lift to town from the Headmaster of Anderson School ( a Mat Saleh) who by chance came to the school for a meeting. He asked the boys what was the secret behind STAR successful rugby team, how STAR managed to produce good rugby players. (We frequently hit above the century when we played Anderson (then!)). One of the boys answered... the secret lies on the eggs, sir. STAR rugby players were given extra two eggs every morning for breakfast and we eat them with kicap!! We were so naive then! It was actually the diet!. Anyway, the match against our greatest enemy - Malay College alias MCKK alias Mengkekek. The game has always been difficult but interesting. Very intense rivalry. Made it even difficult if you have your siblings studying in either schools. It happened to me and it happened to Rahim Ahmadi as well. Rahim's case was the most classic. That year (1969, I think), the annual game was played in KK. In one intense moments during the game, there was a scuffled near the touch line where STAR supporters were, when one of MCKK's player, who was very offended with our 'singing', cheering and 'abusing' retorted back to us (supporters) in his growling voice ..., 'this is not your ground!' The player was Rahim's older brother. Ever since that incidence, Rahim has to contend with that remark everytime we feel like teasing him.

Anyway, rugby to us STARIANs was something that we cherished most. You must paly the game in order to admire and appreciate it. Patah is a common scene then. We startes playing rugby very early - when we were in the 'Remove Class'!!. STAR has had great players in rugby even at national levels. Arshad Ahmad, Jalil Yaakop, Mamat Taib just to name a few. For my batch, we had arwah Radhi Majid (Black Power). arwah Kutik (Kamaruddin Arshad), Linggam Sibi, Hassan Said, Wak Khairuddin, Omar Suhaimi, (Tan Sri) Annuar Musa (our one year junior). But then, almost every one in STAR is hooked on rugby. Cobratasha, cobratasha, cobratasha, shine and shine .... STARRRR!