Finding Home, Love and Family at the HSBC SVNS Singapore: Marah Ishraf
- Hana Basir
- 2 hours ago
- 5 min read
A mainstay in the Singapore National Rugby Sevens Men's Team, Marah Ishraf reflects on a childhood steeped in rugby and the new driving force behind his game: his family
This is a feature article written by SportPlus.sg for The Kallang Group. For more sports events, programmes and human stories of The Kallang, visit the The Kallang's 'Here to Play' website.
When Marah Ishraf talks about rugby, he doesn’t just talk about a sport. He talks about family.
He talks about running around under void decks and the gleeful panic of climbing into a canal to retrieve a poorly-placed kick. He talks about his brothers, his father, and the shared rhythm of a family built on tackles, teamwork, and trust.
And now, at 31, he talks about his wife and one-year-old daughter — his new “why” that fuels him through every training session, every shift at work, and every opportunity to wear the Singapore jersey.
As the HSBC SVNS returns to Singapore this January, alongside the Southeast Asian (SEA) Sevens tournament where Ishraf will once again represent the nation, his story becomes one that mirrors the event itself: a celebration of sport, family, and the simple joy of being together.
Growing Up in a Rugby Home
Ishraf started rugby at just eight years old, inspired by his older brothers and his father. For Ishraf, the sport began long before structured training. It began in a way many can relate to — at the void deck of his flat.
“What I can vividly remember is when my brothers and I were younger, we would pass around the rugby ball under the void deck. We would run outside the void deck on the grass patch. We used to kick the ball across the canal. There were failed attempts! We had to climb down the canal to get the ball back a few times,” he laughed fondly.
“Coming from a rugby family, there’s a lot of values that you learn along the way. It’s a team sport, you need a lot of discipline and a lot of time management. These were the values we learned at home and on the field.”
Those memories — messy, joyful, and very Singaporean — shaped him. So did the biggest one of all: the 2015 SEA Games on home soil.
“My core memory of growing up in a rugby family would be in 2015 when we had the SEA Games in Singapore. Obviously, it’s always a blessing to play in front of the family. All of them were there. It was really nice to take that family photo when we won the bronze medal. That’s something I’ll always remember."
From National Debut to Captaincy at 22
In 2013, Ishraf earned his first national call-up. Within just three years, he became captain — a trajectory most players only dream of.
“Every kid’s dream is to represent the country. When I got my first call-up in 2013, I was very happy and excited. I remember my first tournament was in Thailand. Three years later, I became the captain. Everything happened so fast and I think at that point in time, I was still quite young — I think I was 22 when I was the captain."
“Being a young leader at the time, it was an interesting experience because I had teammates who were about ten years older than me. I had a lot of guidance from them. It was quite easy to transition to becoming the captain because there was a lot of guidance from my teammates. I felt the progression was quite natural and I really enjoyed it.”
Leadership came early, but legacy — he now realises — comes later.
His New ‘Why’: A Wife, A Daughter, and a Rebalanced Life
“When I first played in the national team more than 10 years ago now, my ‘why’ was just wanting to represent myself and my family. I wanted to express myself on the field whenever I got the ball,” he said.
“But now, 10 years later, as a father plus having a full time job, it’s very different. For me, what keeps me going is having the support of my wife and daughter. I think without their support, especially my wife’s, I don’t think I can still be playing today. I really want to make them proud of me. I want my daughter to see me on the field and know that that’s ‘Ayah’ on the field.”
His wife, Kyra Chua, remembers the adjustment period vividly — and though it was tough at first, it only ingrained in them that they made a good pair.
“Initially, I did have some mixed feelings because in his line of work — it’s shift work. I thought to myself, if he’s going to spend time at training and at work, would there be time for us as a family? We slowly looked at what we could do and worked around his schedule. I think we made a good team!” smiled Kyra.
“It’s very important for our daughter to see how we grow as a family, and how her dad dedicates his life to rugby. I think she’ll be very proud of her dad. No matter what, in life, I hope she knows that we can work things out together as a family and that we can achieve whatever we want in life.”
A Love Story That Started at the HSBC SVNS Singapore
Few athletes can say their first date happened at a major sporting event — but Ishraf can.
“The very first time he asked me out was to watch rugby sevens! And I was like, ‘I don't know anything but yes’. It was really fun,” laughed Kyra as the two told of their beginnings.
“The atmosphere itself really made me feel like I knew the sport. I cheered with them and Ishraf described everything to me. From there, I picked it up And we’ve been back almost every year to catch the games with friends or family.”
So much so that they even brought their newborn daughter when she was only a month old.
“We sneaked out of confinement just to watch!” the two laughed, smilingly lovingly at their daughter sat on Kyra’s lap.
Why the HSBC SVNS Singapore Is the Perfect Family Weekend
To Ishraf, HSBC SVNS Singapore isn’t just a tournament — it’s a yearly gathering point for rugby families across Singapore including his own.
“HSBC SVNS Singapore is a marquee event here, I think every other rugby family looks forward to the month of the tournament. Personally, I get excited and now that I have a family, I make sure the weekend is blocked out for this,” he shared.
“There are a lot of fringe activities happening too around the stadium even for kids. It’s a very inclusive event and there’s something for everyone. That’s why as a family, we look forward to next year’s edition in January.”
Kyra, excited for her daughter to try out the activities, agreed wholeheartedly.
“Trust me, there’s something for everyone, every single person. From five year olds to adults.There was one occasion where I brought my mum and she didn’t know! She just thought it was a field full of people tackling one another for a ball but when she came, she said ‘Wow, what a big event!’ laughed Kyra as she recounted her mother’s childlike excitement.
“At the previous edition, our daughter was still really young so now I’m looking forward to her being able to run around!”
From void deck passes to SEA Games bronze, from first dates at the HSBC SVNS Singapore to bringing his daughter into the sport’s heartbeat, Ishraf’s story is uniquely Singaporean—and deeply human.
Food villages, games, music, world-class rugby — festival atmosphere perfect for families.
Bring the kids, bring the grandparents, bring the whole kampung — there truly is something for everyone.
The HSBC SVNS Singapore 2026 will be happening at the National Stadium from 31 January to 1 February 2026. General sale tickets and family bundles are available from $79 and $179.10 respectively at The Kallang's website here.
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