Bridges Cup: Bridging generations through rugby

By: Zickry Ezham and Ameer Luqman

Thirty years after the school’s founding, the inaugural Bridges Cup represented a landmark in the institution’s history as its first rugby competition, pitting two distinguished teams: KYS RAMMERS and KYSER against one another.

Staged with meticulous planning and buoyed by widespread anticipation, the event transcended mere sport to reinforce the enduring bond between current students and alumni. The KYS Rammers, an emblem of the vitality and ambition of the present cohort, contended with the KYSER, whose seasoned former pupils brought experience and tradition to the pitch.

The Bridges Cup not only symbolised the school’s dedication to fostering a robust rugby culture but also established a ceremonial platform through which successive generations could unite in shared passion. Ultimately, this inaugural contest served as both a tribute to the school’s three decades of progress and the commencement of a venerable athletic legacy.

The inaugural contest took place on the 19th of April, 2025, at the esteemed Kolej Yayasan Saad Melaka field. From the moment the referee’s whistle went off to signal the start of play, the atmosphere was electric. The lush green expanse of the field, framed by the school’s historic architecture, provided a fitting stage for this landmark encounter, and every pass, tackle, and try was met with exuberant applause and unified chants, underscoring the deep pride and communal spirit that defined the Bridges Cup’s first chapter.

Amid the thunderous applause, the play quickly settled into a fierce contest for territory and possession. Within the opening minutes, the KYS Rammers advanced deep into the KYSER half, courtesy of a powerful driving maul, only to be thwarted by a timely interception and turnover from the KYSER openside flanker.

As the sun dipped low over the field, each team’s backline demonstrated remarkable flair, swift passing sequences and incisive lines tested even the most resolute defenders while the forwards engaged in relentless scrums and rucks that drew appreciative roars from the stands.

The Bridges Cup concluded with a final score of 17–12 in favour of the KYS Rammers. Both sides crossed the whitewash twice, but it was the Rammers’ reliable place-kicking and disciplined defensive stands that ultimately secured their slender five-point margin, repelling a late surge from the KYSER and drawing jubilant celebrations from the supporters.

After the whistle sounded to signal the close of the Bridges Cup match, jubilation erupted among the KYS Rammers as they assembled on the centre circle to receive their championship cup and gleaming gold medals. Proud smiles shone on every face as the team captain lifted the trophy high above his head, the prize glinting in the late afternoon sun. Yet even in defeat, the KYSER refused to be cast in a sombre light, instead the alumni squad surged forward, clapping and cheering in unison with the victors.

Players from both sides embraced and exchanged handshakes, their collective celebration underscoring the true spirit of the competition, one where triumph and camaraderie go hand in hand, and where every participant, winner or runner-up, counts as a champion of the Bridges Cup legacy.

As the last of the spectators left the pitch, groups of students and alumni lingered to commemorate the day’s occasion with photographs alongside both the KYS Rammers and the KYSER.

That evening, the two teams reconvened in the dining hall for a shared banquet at long tables, with the hum of spirited conversations echoing beneath the high arches. Over dinner, Rammers and KYSERs exchanged stories of pivotal plays, laughed at near misses, and toasted to the Bridges Cup’s inaugural success.

In choosing to break bread together, they transformed competition into camaraderie, proving that the true victory lay in unity as much as in the final score.