Turf City, Singapore at risk of closing: Tanglin Rugby Club

Tanglin Rugby Club posted an appeal over the past weekend urging public support to fight the planned closure and development of the popular sporting area, Turf City.

Ample green space and rugby fields in urban areas are already in short supply across Asia. Over recent years clubs like the Manila Nomads had public fights to try to retain the Nomads Sports Club grounds on which they had played on and developed for years (and eventually lost). Now local Singapore rugby and touch clubs are facing a similar issue with the planned development of Turf City.

Tanglin Rugby Club appeal on Turf City

In a statement the club said:

“URA has released a draft master plan to convert Turf City into a residential zone. URA are actively seeking community engagement and have released a feedback form. We seek your urgent participation and opportunity for feedback. It would be devastating for Tanglin Rugby Club and all other clubs operating at Turf City if our pitches were all developed into a residential zone.

Tanglin Rugby Club has been operating at Turf City since 2005 and we facilitate over 850+ community members of all ages actively using the pitches every week. TRC is also the home ground for other sports like touch rugby, cricket and soccer, all of whom will be homeless without TRC pitches.

We believe it goes without saying that Turf City is an important green space to the Singapore community. Turf City provides an enormous range of sports which all would need to find land elsewhere.”

The Club has asked for interested parties to complete the feedback form to keep Turf City as a sporting green space. The main issue Tanglin Rugby Club faces, as do the other sporting clubs who use the facilities are that it would be

“near impossible for them to find an alternative venue to conduct their programs, this is also true for ourselves and the cricket, touch rugby and soccer clubs using our pitches. The redevelopment of Turf City will not be a positive development for our community.”

What can you do to help Turf City?

To complete the form the TRC Committee ask to follow these steps:

1. Subject and Sub Topic to remain as “Draft Master Plan 2019”
2. Fill in all personal details except your Address. (Do Not fill in your Residential Address – leave it blank)
3. Under Planning Area or Region select “Bukit Timah”
4. Under Street Name write ‘ 220 Turf Club Road’
5. Under Building Name write ‘Tanglin Rugby Club’
6. Under Postal Code write 288001
7. Under Details you may write about your frequency at TRC including your training frequency, competition and tournaments, and why you think Turf City should remain a green sporting space in the community.
8. Please attach photographs showing your experiences at the grounds.
9. Key in the random security numbers given and click Submit

The survey closes on the Survey Closes April 24th 2019.

You would like to think bodies like the Singapore Rugby Union would be proactive and get involved to support local rugby in Singapore?

Do you have a view on this planned closure? Let us know.