If you think being a full-time dad is already a contact sport, try balancing it with running Singapore’s entire rugby ecosystem. That’s the daily hustle for Sidney Kumar—a man whose life has basically been one long, glorious sprint down a rugby pitch, followed by a graceful sidestep into parenting, coaching, and startup life.
Before He Was ‘Dad,’ He Was a National Rugby Champ
At 39, Sidney wears many hats (and probably several rugby caps). He’s the General Manager of the Singapore Rugby Union, a former TeamSG player who repped Singapore from 2007 to 2017—including snagging a SEA Games silver medal—and the founder of Sportify Kids, a programme dedicated to getting children active through multi-sport exposure.
And he’s also a husband to Gwen and father to two spunky kids: Sienna, 6, who’s pirouetting her way through ballet, and Eli, 3, who’s already charging across rugby fields with the Titans Rugby Singapore’s Titan Tots.
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But let’s be clear—Sidney didn’t just stumble into this whole sporty dad persona. He’s been in the game for decades. “Sport has been an integral part of my life since I was ten,” he says. And though he officially retired from competitive play after the SEA Games in 2017, he didn’t hang up his love for sport. Instead, he leveled up.
Using Kid’s Sports to Build a Stronger Singapore, One Playdate at a Time
Source: SportPlus.sg
Today, as GM, Sidney leads strategic initiatives that boost youth participation and performance across all age groups. And if that wasn’t impressive enough, he also runs his own business focused on leadership development and youth empowerment—because apparently, there are no chill days in the Kumar household.
“My passion for youth development drives me to continuously learn, innovate, and grow,” he shares. That passion also sparked the launch of Sportify Kids, which aims to bring back the spirit of free play, curiosity, and hands-on learning through movement. In a world where “play” often means screen time, Sidney wants to flip the narrative.
“I want to provide them with the opportunities to go and explore and to try,” he says of raising his own children. “It’s not about medals or achievements. It’s about character, play, and presence.”
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Sidney’s dream? A more vibrant, sport-loving Singapore—where the lines between grassroots and greatness blur, and every child, regardless of talent or title, has a space to grow. He’s not just coaching kids; he’s coaching a movement.
And it all starts at home.
Why Kid’s Sports Still Matter (Especially Today)
Sidney grew up the old-school way—playing catch at the void deck, running around with neighbours, and exploring movement without needing a formal sports schedule. “We spent a lot of time just going out there and exploring play,” he reflects.
But in today’s fast-paced, screen-heavy world, that carefree exploration is often lost.
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“You don’t have the culture where after school, kids go home and they just spend two hours playing, right?” he says. “The definition of just that play and exploration has already changed.”
It’s this shift that motivated him to launch Sportify Kids, a multi-sport programme designed to expose children to a variety of activities in a safe and structured environment. “The intention was always to have that multi-sport foundation, to provide a platform where kids can learn all the different kinds of sports and the fundamentals… and to learn to explore, to play.”
To Sidney, kid’s sports are not about choosing a single discipline early and going all in. They’re about building confidence, coordination, and connection with others and with themselves.
Ballet or Rugby? It Doesn’t Matter—As Long As They Love It
Despite Sidney’s deep roots in rugby, he doesn’t force the sport onto his children. “I try to steer my kids towards rugby,” he admits with a grin, “I started by throwing a lot of rugby balls around the house when they were little… But again, my wife disagrees.”
Instead, both Sidney and his wife Gwen take a more open approach. “My philosophy has always been allowing them to discover what they can excel in, what they are interested in.”
His daughter Sienna started ballet at four after trying a range of sports—including swimming and basketball. What began as a fun toddler tutu class evolved into something much more. “Once they enjoy, they put in the hard work,” he shares. “She had her first ballet competition… and I was a 39-year-old grown man shouting and screaming like a fangirl and tearing up.”
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As for Eli? He’s dipping his toes in rugby through the Titans Rugby Singapore Titan Tots programme—but with a twist. “Their four, five-year-old program is multi-sports focused,” Sidney explains. “Sometimes he’s taking a ball and bouncing it on the rugby field… Last week, he was playing football.”
For Sidney, these moments are about more than athletic development. “To see him happy running on the field, that to me says a lot.”
How Kid’s Sports Build Character and Family Values
If you ask Sidney what kids gain from sport, his answer isn’t speed or strength. It’s resilience.
“One of the biggest values that I learned throughout my entire rugby journey is the value of resilience,” he says. “No matter how hard you get hit, you have no choice, you have to get up again, you have to play it again.”
But he also sees rugby—and all kid’s sports—as deeply inclusive. “Rugby is one of the few sports out there that has a place for everyone… Whether you are shorter, bigger, skinnier, fast, slow, there’s a position for every individual.”
And beyond the field, Sidney uses sport as a bridge to stronger family ties. Despite a demanding schedule, he makes it a point to involve his kids in his world.
“I bring them along,” he says. “They bring their little kick scooters or they chuck around a rugby ball or they go and observe what’s happening… and just get to know what daddy does on a day-to-day basis.”
Routine matters too. Thanks to Gwen’s impeccable planning, the family has carved out sacred time together. “We have breakfast together in the morning… We make sure we come back for dinner and everyone sits on the table together.”
Why Sidney Believes in Sport as the Best Classroom
Source: BENEDICT TAN
Before his current role, Sidney spent over a decade teaching and coaching in schools, including his alma mater. His goal then, as now, was never just to create winners, but to build belief.
“I played rugby for a long time, but I’ve never won many things,” he shares candidly. “So my journey… was trying to bring that team, the group of boys, up to have that self-belief… which we did.”
This same belief drives his passion for Sportify Kids. Whether it’s dance, rugby, or swimming, the outcome he hopes for in every child is the same: confidence, resilience, and joy.
Sports.. It’s for Every Child
If there’s one message Sidney wants Singaporean parents to hear loud and clear, it’s this: sports are not just for the naturally athletic or ultra-competitive. Kid’s sports are for everyone, and every child stands to gain something from playing.
“It’s not about the trophies,” he reminds us. “It’s about giving them space to explore, to enjoy, and to grow.”
