12 group sports you can play in Singapore

1. American football

The closest most Singaporeans get to American football is shoving Jerry Maguire aside in the DVD bargain bin. However, with such a large expat community based here, it was inevitable that a well-meaning Yank would start up a team sooner or later. The Singapore Flag Football Association doesn’t have the funds to re-create NFL matches over here, so its loyal members have settled for ‘flag football’ instead. It’s basically the same as the real thing, just without the need for so much padding, as tackling is replaced by the taking of another player’s flag. It’s free to play and the group meets at 9am every Saturday on Beach Road next to the Parkview Square building, often followed by a team barbecue. Singapore Flag Football Association (www.singaporeflagfootball.com)

2. Baseball

'It’s a thinking man’s game,’ says Typhoon Club’s baseball coach, Andrew Yap. So you’d best get your thinking cap on now: the ball season bats off in September, which means teams are looking for players. This amateur club has practice sessions every Saturday in June at the AR-JAS Sports Centre, and all are welcome to try out their batting skills. They’ll provide all the equipment, teach you how to play and take you out for a couple of beers afterwards. If that floats your boat, you can make home runs for one of their teams by paying an annual membership of $250. The Singapore Baseball & Softball Association also runs a league for ballpark masters, so contact them to find out about joining an elite team. Typhoon Club (9879 3446, www.baseball.sg); AR-JAS Sports Centre, 600 West Coast Rd (6773 3004); Singapore Baseball & Softball Association (6345 2526, www.sbsa.org.sg)

3. Basketball

American sports aficionado Dick Vertlieb said basketball is ‘the world’s second most exciting indoor sport; the first shouldn’t have spectators’. To bag your first hoop, contact the Basketball Association of Singapore – it has a list of clubs to suit most playing levels, and details of how to join a league team – or go to the BBAXN website to view who’s on the lookout for a new team-mate. Alternatively you can start up your own team. The tempestuous rain and burning sunshine won’t stop play at the School of Physical Education’s indoor courts, which you can hire out from $11 (per hour). Or just brave the humidity, and dribble and dunk with your mates at any of Singapore’s numerous free outdoor courts. Basketball Association of Singapore, #01-04, 601 Aljunied Crescent (6743 8425, www.bas.org.sg); BBAXN (www.bbaxn.com); School of Physical Education, 21 Evans Rd (6293 3452)

4. Cricket

If the sound of leather on willow gets you hard at the crease and everything else ‘bails’ in comparison, then take heart: the gentleman’s game has been played on these fair shores since Sir Stamford Raffles landed here in 1819. The Singapore Cricket Club was formed 33 years later and continues to be the bat-and-ball lover’s exclusive clubhouse. If their $1,400 annual membership seems a bit steep, get in touch with the Ceylon Sports Club on Balestier, who’ll soon have you out for a duck and a cold mug of beer. Annual membership there amounts to a more wallet-friendly $190, and the club runs Saturday coaching sessions for $420 over the course of 12 weeks. Singapore Cricket Club, Connaught Dr (6338 9271, www.scc.org.sg); Ceylon Sports Club, 101 Balestier Rd (6297 1009, www.cscsingapore.org.sg)

5. Dragon boat racing

This sport isn’t as scary (or medieval) as it sounds: as racer Don Yu puts it, ‘it’s just traditional rowing on steroids’. An overflowing team of 22 paddlers crams into a traditional long boat to race down a stretch of water. To see all the action in full glory, head to the Bedok Reservoir on 10 July, when hundreds of people will be furiously racing down the 800m waterway as part of the Singapore Dragon Festival. To get involved, contact the Singapore Dragon Boat Association, who can help connect you with clubs looking for paddlers. Singapore Dragon Boat Association, Kallang Water Sports Centre, No 10 Stadium Ln (6440 9763, www.sdba.org.sg)

6. Football

Whether you want to play it, watch it or bet on it, there’ll be somewhere on the island to ease your footie craving. Matches are played weekly, so if you’re a budding Ronaldo contact Singapore’s professional league, the S. League, to find out about trials. Anyone with a little less prowess should head to the Kallang Roar website and take their pick from over 200 social teams listed. If you’re after the occasional five-aside kickaround, the Premier Pitch has four ‘fieldturf’ pitches which can be hired from $40 an hour. S. League, #01-02 Jalan Besar Stadium, 100 Tyrwhitt Rd (6348 3477, www.sleague.com); Kallang Roar (www.kallangroar.com); Premier Pitch, 200 Turf Club Rd (6466 821, www.thepitch.com.sg)

7. Hockey

Heading on to a field with 21 other people brandishing hooked wooden sticks might sound more like a horror movie than a sport. According to local player Carolin Goh, it’s anything but: ‘It’s a game that’s fun, keeps me fit and allows me to whack out life’s aggressions on a plastic ball.’ If that sounds right up your alley, the welcoming members of Tornados Hockey Club, er, hook up on Wednesday nights at Hockey Village to practise, before finishing off with drinks and a lot of banter. For ex-school players, The Singapore Hockey Federation runs a league for more skilled stick-wielders, and they can help you get on either a men’s or women’s team. Tornados Hockey Club (www.tornadoshockey.org.sg); Hockey Village, 88 Boon Lay Pl (6268 1286, www.hockeyone.com.sg); Singapore Hockey Federation, Delta Stadium, 900 Tiong Bahru Rd (6479 3466, www.singaporehockey.org)

8. Netball

Young, ageing, fit, unfit, female or mixed – it doesn’t matter. There are over 300 squads to choose from in netball-mad Singapore, so it’s no surprise the World Netball Championships will be played here in July next year. Competitive players should seek out Netball Singapore to find out about trials with the Netball League teams. Social netballers or beginners should hurry down to Kallang Netball Centre to join a Netball course for $90. Should you wish to pursue your newfound passion, at the end of the 12-week course they will help you find a team to play for. Netball Singapore (6346 5063, www.netball.org.sg); Kallang Netball Centre, 6 Stadium Blvd (6346 5105)

9. Rugby

Although hardly famous for rugby on the international circuit, Singapore has a surprisingly vibrant egg-catching community. There are clubs for both men and women – teams that play rugby union and seven-a-side matches. The leagues don’t start until August, but if you fancy a bit of pre-season training get in touch with the Wanderers RFC. The club has four teams ranging from highly competitive to the ‘odds and sods’ category. Its motto is ‘let’s get loose’, so the social side is just as important as the scrum. They even have their own WAGS (wives and girlfriends) section, which puts on wine and nibbles for the gals watching the games. And if there are any big international games, you’ll be sure to find the Wanderers at Harry’s at Boat Quay. A ‘playing annual membership’ costs $400 and those less, er, active can become a ‘social member’ (read: professional p**s artist) for $100. The Wanderers RFC (8138 0630, www.wanderersrfc.sg)

10. Ultimate frisbee

This favourite beach-day pastime has gone official. It has its own governing body with rules, like self-refereeing, regular local and international tournaments, and is known as Ultimate. Two teams of seven players compete for points by catching the disc in the opposing team’s end zone; for adept frisbee flingers, the pick-up meetings take place at Parkview Square at 6.30pm every Monday and Wednesday. Organised by Singapore Ultimate, this is where scouts talent-spot for Singapore’s competitive clubs. The sessions also function as a friendly hangout for beginners wanting to learn the rules of the game and meet other players, and remains a very sociable sport – so a drink and a natter on the sidelines is a common sight. Singapore Ultimate (www.singaporeultimate.com)

11. Volleyball

With bikini-clad babes and chiselled six-packed males being the norm, it’s no wonder that beach volleyball makes for an excellent spectator sport. But if you want to participate and don’t feel quite as confident as the bronze Adonis leaping about on Sentosa’s Siloso beach, you could always sample a free trial sesh of indoor volleyball on a Monday night at the Presbyterian High School with the International Kakis Volleyball Club. For diehard beach players, the four Siloso courts are free to use and are run on a first-come-first-served basis, so grab some buddies and start your own group. And if you lose your court to hotter hitters, you can nurse your ego in one of the many bars that overlook the courts. Siloso beach, 51 Imbiah Walk, Sentosa; Presbyterian High School Multi Purpose Hall, 5209 Ang Mo Kio Ave 6; International Kakis Volleyball Club (www.internationalkakis.com)

12. Water polo

So the full-head soft-cloth swimming cap may seem a little Victorian, and the idea of wearing a mouth guard in a swimming pool most bizarre – but water polo has an avid fanbase in Singapore that’s got even larger since Channel 5’s TV show Polo Boys followed a group of rippled men in a drama series centring on the sport. The Queenstown Water Polo Club runs beginner, intermediate and elite programmes which meet up at 6.30pm every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. For the $50 membership fee you can start with the basics, like learning to swim (if you don’t already know), and progress to games, skills and tactics as you improve. Queenstown Water Polo Club, Queenstown Swimming Complex, 473 Stirling Rd (www.queenstownwaterpolo.com)