Football, volleyball and badminton are arguably the most popular sports in Indonesia, but try asking Jakartans explain rugby.
Some may raise their eyebrows and shake their heads since the sport, known as "a hooligan's game played by gentlemen", is among the rarer sports played in the capital.
The first rugby club in town, Jakarta Banteng Rugby, has only been in existence for six years. A mere blink in the sport's 150-year history.
"This club was initiated by a group of expatriates and Indonesians who had spent time in Australia and wanted to introduce the game to the city," Banteng member Fikri Al Azhar told The Jakarta Post recently.
He said their membership and training was provided since managing to find a sponsor for to fund the club's activities.
Fikri said he saw a growing interest in the sport among Jakartans since the club introduced it to some senior high schools.
"We used to have only five to 15 people who come to practice but now we have 30 to 40 people," Fikri said.
Rugby clubs, he added, had popped up in other parts of the country - like Bandung in West Java, Balikpapan in East Kalimantan, Sumbawa in West Nusa Tenggara, Bali, Halmahera in Maluku and Papua - allowing for some competitive regional competitions.
Another unfamiliar sport for Jakartans is ultimate, a limited-contact team sport played by two groups of seven.
The object of the game is to score points by passing a 175-gram flying disc to a team member in the opponent's end zone.
"Ultimate is distinguished by its spirit, which is a principle of fair play, sportsmanship, honesty, and the joy of game," G Gamboa Higgins, an avid Ultimate player from team DiscIndo-Ultimate Indonesia, said.
DiscIndo is a team of regular Ultimate players that was established in 1997.
Higgins could not recall the exact number of the club members, however, she did say the club had maintained a consistent number of players enough for a game (7-on-7).
"To join the club, one just has to show up at the field and have the interest to learn and play ultimate," she said.
She added there was no joining or membership fee, but they did charge a standard Rp 60,000 (US$6) per session, which goes to paying for field costs, as well as a monthly allowance for a field manager.
In a bid to attract new players, Higgins said, first-timers are welcomed to practice for free. The team also accepts lower contributions if players are unable to pay the full Rp 60,000.
Jakarta's cricket scene is also enjoying growing popularity among residents since the Jakarta Cricket Association (JCA) was formed by expatriate cricket lovers in 1992.
"Currently, we have 300 playing members and 12 teams playing in the league's season, running from August to April," JCA president Avakash Lohia said.
The bat-and-ball game is extremely popular in countries such as India, Australia, Pakistan and England, the home of cricket.
Members of Jakarta Banteng Rugby club regularly practice at Lapangan Pertamina in imprug, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, every Wednesday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
DiscIndo-Ultimate Indonesia play every week at the Senayan sports complex in Central Jakarta on Thursdays from 8 p.m to 10 p.m. and on Sundays from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
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