Young halves to steer Memerang in Championship opener

Exciting young halves Tylan Berryman and Tiernan O’Rourke will look to steer the Singapore Memerang national rugby league side around the field in the Memerang’s first international against Japan at the Asia Championships on Thursday.

Berryman (19) and O’Rourke (21) are expected to line up and halfback and five eighth for the clash with the Samurai’s and are excited by the prospect of representing the City-State. Berryman, who plays for South Sydney Rabbitohs in the Jersey Flegg (u21) competition in Australia is expected to play a key role with his communication and running game a feature of his play. A junior rugby league and Oztag representative, Berryman qualifies to play for the Memerang through his Grandmother who was born in Singapore, stated “It’s a massive honour to represent my family’s heritage. With my grandmother being born here, pulling on the Memerang jersey means the world to us. I’m really looking forward to getting out there, taking control of the game, and building a strong combination with Tiernan to do Singapore proud.”.

For O’Rourke, the game against Japan will be his first ever game of rugby league, having played rugby union in Singapore for the Bedok Kings club. Being born and raised in Singapore, O’Rourke can not wait to form an exciting partnership with Berryman.

The 2 young playmakers represent the unique blend of the Singapore team, with a mix of players from rugby union backgrounds in Singapore combining with players with Singaporean heritage that reside in Australia. This concept is not new to emerging international rugby league teams and it is hoped that through the exposure of the Memerang games at the Asian Championships that more players both in Singapore and abroad will seek to be involved with the Memerang into the future. With a domestic competition slated for July/August 2026, there is a growing optimism that the game in Singapore can make significant strides forward both on and off the field over the coming years.