Philippine Rugby congratulates Rose Mae Lanticse and Jake Letts as the newly appointed Secretary General and Board Trustee, respectively. Former Secretary General Ric Bellen stepped down from his position in January creating a vacancy on the Board. After a thorough review of potential candidates and current needs of the Union, the Trustees unanimously agreed at their April meeting to co-opt Jake Letts to fill in Bellen’s vacant position for the remainder of the term ending in December. During the said meeting, Rose Mae Lanticse was also appointed as the Secretary General of the Union.
Letts has served PRFU in a number of different capacities across the better part of two decades. Recruited as one of the first international heritage players in 2005, he represented the Volcanoes in 15s and 7s as a player until 2017 when he stepped up into the National Teams Manager and eventually into the roles of General Manager and CEO. In order to accept the appointment to step up again as a PRFU Board Trustee, Letts has elected to take a General Manager role in Australia, signing with the Warringah Rugby Club in the Shute Shield for New South Wales premier rugby competition. Letts shared, “I have thoroughly enjoyed being connected to the Union and that will remain status quo with the transition into this new role. As I step down from the operational team, I look forward to stepping up and across into the strategic advisory level for PRFU”. Lanticse has also served the Union for more than a decade. She started as a player in 2011 when the women's program was first launched before heading up PRFU's Get Into Rugby Program and then shifting to a director role with SOS Children's Villages. She was elected in 2021 and will be serving her second year as a Trustee. Lanticse was also recently appointed as the lead for Philippines Olympic Committee's Safe Sport Commission’s Training & Education in Safeguarding. In accepting her new role, Lanticse shared, "It is my mission is to amplify the voices and promote the active participation of athletes and the wider community in developing rugby as a safe, inclusive, and premier sports in the Philippines." President of PRFU, Ada Milby commented, "Jake has a wealth of experience running the day to day operations of the Union and handling the national teams, which means we can keep that institutional memory within the organisation. I'm delighted to see Jake step into this role that keeps him involved at the strategic level while also taking steps forward in his rugby administration career". She went on to say, "Rose also brings a lot an experience working with government agencies with a specific focus on grassroots development. Having a board with a diverse range of views and backgrounds puts us in a position to make better decisions considering all the complexities of developing Rugby in Philippines and performing on the international stage." Letts and Lanticse will serve alongside Ada Milby, Gareth Holgate, Steve Mommaerts, Phil Campbell and Max Stewart as Board of Trustees for the year 2023. Philippine Rugby welcomes three newly elected trustees to the governing board for the next two years. Gareth Holgate of Eagles RFC, Steve Mommaerts of Manila Nomads and Philip Campbell of Cebu Dragons have taken up the three available positions.
Ada Milby has also been re-elected into a two-year term and will continue her role as the Union’s President. This will be her third year elected into the position. "I'm honored for the opportunity to continue serving our Philippine Rugby members, stakeholders and communities. It's a critical time for us as we reflect on our successes of the past decade and identify areas we need to adapt and improve to future proof our organisation. Thankfully, as we move into designing our new Strategic Plan for 2024 - 2028, we have representation on our board that reflects the game across Mindanao, Visayas and Luzon. The board together with key stakeholders will set the direction for the organisation moving forward towards making Rugby a choice sport for Filipinos” Milby shared. The first member inducted is well known around the rugby community, he played for over a decade for the national program and is the current CEO of SDW Realty who carries a wealth of experience both on field and off the field. Gareth Holgate will be a welcomed addition to the governing body. “It has been a great privilege and honour to have been selected to play for the Volcanoes during the last 12 years, and I have enjoyed the participation and the camaraderie this offered immensely. I have also learnt a great deal from the experience and gained many firm friends in the process. It is also great to see our up-and-coming stars of the future coming forward both internationally and domestically. I am also hugely honored to join the Board of the Philippine Rugby Football Union, and I am very excited and greatly looking forward to this next chapter. This is where I can contribute in an advisory position and I hope to pass on my skills and the experience that I have gained, for the benefit and improvement of the game in the Philippines” Holgate shared. The second seat will be availed by Philip Campbell, he will be the second representative to represent the Visayas Mindanao region playing a significant role with the Cebu Dragons for the last seven years. Campbell was also a former national coach for Hong Kong in the 90s. “I look forward to growing the game, growing local talent in wider regions outside Luzon and having an impact at a national level. I would like to support diversity and to continue to drive the game and PRFU forward. It’s important to ensure we brand the game to have a local and corporate partnership appeal” Campbell added. Steve Mommaerts is the last newly elected trustee; Mommaerts has been associated with Manila Nomads and domestic rugby for fourteen years. He has also assisted Philippine Rugby as a match official for the past five years. “As part of the new board for the PRFU, I will work with my other board members to further drive the vision established by the past PRFU administration in order to build on the foundation for rugby in the Philippines that has been laid. I look forward to finding solutions to whatever challenges arise over the next 24 months,” Mommaerts shared. To cap off the elected trustees, serving eight years as President and a cumulative term of four years as Secretary General Rick Santos has been assigned into an ex-officio role alongside Jaime Urquijo. Santos and Urquijo have played influential roles for the union for over a decade and will continue to advise the national sports association as an additional governing support network throughout the transition. All appointed members will be joined by Max Stewart, Rose Lanticse and Ric Bellen for the next 12 months to serve as the Union’s Board of Trustees for 2023. ![]() Manila, Philippines - A local first aider who was certified in the World Rugby Training & Education Superweek First Aid In Rugby (FAIR) course in July of this year found himself in a situation wherein he needed to apply his knowledge into action: He needed to save a man's life. Timothy Kong, a former Board Trustee and Philippine Volcano, had just finished playing a friendly game of rugby against a touring Japanese team when the incident occurred. Alerted by a bystander, former Philippine Volcano and Board Trustee, Maxwell "Chicken" Stewart, announced medical aid was required for the sporting community that had booked the field after the rugby game. Kongy, as Timothy is fondly known by the rugby community, made no hesitations to help. Kongy, along with Stewart and former army medic and Philippine Volcano Jerry Echter, took the responsibility to provide critical first aid to the downed individual until paramedics arrived. Drawing on his recent FAIR certification and previous training in the Australian Army Cadet Corps, Kongy quickly assessed the condition of the individual and immediately began chest compressions and mouth to mouth resuscitation. Kongy, with the assistance of Jerry, continued to provide CPR for approximately 30 minutes until they successfully revived the individual's breathing and heartbeat. Meanwhile, Stewart ensured crowd was controlled and medical response team was contacted. "I cannot stress enough the importance of being educated in first aid. When needed, that knowledge will make a world of difference. Not only could you help a stranger but you could save the life of a teammate", says Kongy. "The Philippine Rugby community is proud of the efforts of these 3 gentlemen. This is also a testament of the value of the World Rugby Training & Education program, which can be applied not just on the field but also off the field. Kongy was a very good student of the course and I am sure that his World Rugby Trainer, Steph Yee, is proud of him as well', added Acee San Juan - General Manager of Philippine Rugby. Philippine Rugby Football Union regularly organizes World Rugby Training & Education courses all year round. The 2023 T&E calendar will be published soon. If you are interested to take part on any of the courses (Coaching, Match Officiating, Strength & Conditioning, and First Aid In Rugby), send an email to admin@philippines.rugby. An end of an era for three stalwart supporters and volunteers of Philippine Rugby has been announced at Philippine Rugby’s annual general meeting. Three long-standing trustees have called their time at PRFU. Steve Payne, Tim Kong and Bill Bailey have all opened up avenues for a new generation of community volunteers to help support Philippine Rugby and pave the way forward.
It was in 2011 when Steve Payne first supported Philippine Rugby, he was a national team sponsor for the national women’s and men’s teams and was later elected to the Board of Trustees in 2012. Steve’s role for the Union had been a significant boost to Philippine Rugby with his business acumen, strategic direction and financial contributions which allowed rugby in the Philippines to prosper through a generation of success. “It’s been both a challenging & rewarding 10 years on the board & I feel my efforts have greatly benefited rugby in the Philippines in all areas as a whole, aside just from the financial support. COVID has changed our world (& rugby). As the old guard steps down, it’s time for others to take the lead on the board in tackling these challenges, as well as continuing to build unity within the clubs. I wish the new board & the rugby community every success in the future & I would like to thank those who understand & supported me during my term” shared Payne. For the past decade, it has been known Steve Payne had a positive influence on rugby development and operations in the Philippines. His knowledge of providing best practices for the Union to be run as a business has helped the PRFU to operate efficiently and effectively. Payne provided a significant investment and interest in national programs over the years and more recently local development and competitions to ensure the local rugby community had a platform to thrive. Payne also contributed to making the Union transition into a professional office environment and set standards for accounting procedures that assisted the union greatly. Another tremendous volunteer who calls time for PRFU is William ‘Bill’ Bailey. Bailey was co-opted in 2012 to step in and later was officially elected to the role of Treasurer from 2012 to 2021. Bailey has also played an integral role in Philippine Rugby, most importantly managing the Union’s finances for close to a decade as well as having an oversight role in relation to compliance and contract law. “When I took over as Treasurer of PRFU back in 2012 I am not sure I could ever have imagined that I would hold or support that role for more than a decade! It’s been quite the ride, and I can look back with a sense of satisfaction on what we have achieved both on and off the field. I wish the new board every success for the years ahead, and look forward to following future achievements in this wonderful game at both grassroots and national teams levels.” Bailey shares. “Bill has been another pillar of stability for the Union, his expertise as a chartered accountant and legal verification has ensured Philippine Rugby operates as a top national sports association in the country. His countless hours which involved daily oversight allowed our operations team to ensure we were staying and remaining in a strong financial and management position consistently,” Letts added. The final trustee calling his time was Tim Kong, a former National Team player who was elected in 2016. Kong had been in the advisory role for all national programs ensuring each team was in the best position to perform on the national stage. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my 6 years on the board of the PRFU; crafting pathways for developing players into our national program as well as competing at the highest level. Our gold medal at the SEA games 2019 will always be a highlight for me but I will always focus on what the Philippine rugby community has given back to me. Not only did I meet my wife through the rugby community but I've made countless lifelong friends, seen communities grow through rugby development and witnessed first hand what this community can do for marginalized individuals. This sport of ours is unique and amazing, I'm extremely proud of PRFU and look forward to seeing its further growth in the years to come” Kong added. Ada Milby, the current President of the PRFU passed on the following message on behalf of the Philippine Rugby community to thank the three outgoing trustees with the following message: “I’d like to express my deep gratitude for the outgoing trustees and ex-officio. We are a voluntary board and everyone puts in a lot of time and effort because of our commitment and passion for Rugby. Bill, Steve and Tim all made massive contributions to the organization spanning more than 10 years and it’s safe to say we wouldn't be where we are today without them." Philippine Rugby Football Union held its annual general meeting last week and will officially announce the next term of Board Trustees in the new year. An end of an era for three stalwart supporters and volunteers of Philippine Rugby has been announced at Philippine Rugby’s annual general meeting. Three long-standing trustees have called their time at PRFU. Steve Payne, Tim Kong and Bill Bailey have all opened up avenues for a new generation of community volunteers to help support Philippine Rugby and pave the way forward. It was in 2011 when Steve Payne first supported Philippine Rugby, he was a national team sponsor for the national women’s and men’s teams and was later elected to the Board of Trustees in 2012. Steve’s role for the Union had been a significant boost to Philippine Rugby with his business acumen, strategic direction and financial contributions which allowed rugby in the Philippines to prosper through a generation of success. “It’s been both a challenging & rewarding 10 years on the board & I feel my efforts have greatly benefited rugby in the Philippines in all areas as a whole, aside just from the financial support. COVID has changed our world (& rugby). As the old guard steps down, it’s time for others to take the lead on the board in tackling these challenges, as well as continuing to build unity within the clubs. I wish the new board & the rugby community every success in the future & I would like to thank those who understand & supported me during my term” shared Payne. For the past decade, it has been known Steve Payne had a positive influence on rugby development and operations in the Philippines. His knowledge of providing best practices for the Union to be run as a business has helped the PRFU to operate efficiently and effectively. Payne provided a significant investment and interest in national programs over the years and more recently local development and competitions to ensure the local rugby community had a platform to thrive. Payne also contributed to making the Union transition into a professional office environment and set standards for accounting procedures that assisted the union greatly. Another tremendous volunteer who calls time for PRFU is William ‘Bill’ Bailey. Bailey was co-opted in 2012 to step in and later was officially elected to the role of Treasurer from 2012 to 2021. Bailey has also played an integral role in Philippine Rugby, most importantly managing the Union’s finances for close to a decade as well as having an oversight role in relation to compliance and contract law. “When I took over as Treasurer of PRFU back in 2012 I am not sure I could ever have imagined that I would hold or support that role for more than a decade! It’s been quite the ride, and I can look back with a sense of satisfaction on what we have achieved both on and off the field. I wish the new board every success for the years ahead, and look forward to following future achievements in this wonderful game at both grassroots and national teams levels.” Bailey shares. “Bill has been another pillar of stability for the Union, his expertise as a chartered accountant and legal verification has ensured Philippine Rugby operates as a top national sports association in the country. His countless hours which involved daily oversight allowed our operations team to ensure we were staying and remaining in a strong financial and management position consistently,” Letts added. The final trustee calling his time was Tim Kong, a former National Team player who was elected in 2016. Kong had been in the advisory role for all national programs ensuring each team was in the best position to perform on the national stage. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my 6 years on the board of the PRFU; crafting pathways for developing players into our national program as well as competing at the highest level. Our gold medal at the SEA games 2019 will always be a highlight for me but I will always focus on what the Philippine rugby community has given back to me. Not only did I meet my wife through the rugby community but I've made countless lifelong friends, seen communities grow through rugby development and witnessed first hand what this community can do for marginalized individuals. This sport of ours is unique and amazing, I'm extremely proud of PRFU and look forward to seeing its further growth in the years to come” Kong added. Ada Milby, the current President of the PRFU passed on the following message on behalf of the Philippine Rugby community to thank the three outgoing trustees with the following message: “I’d like to express my deep gratitude for the outgoing trustees and ex-officio. We are a voluntary board and everyone puts in a lot of time and effort because of our commitment and passion for Rugby. Bill, Steve and Tim all made massive contributions to the organization spanning more than 10 years and it’s safe to say we wouldn't be where we are today without them." Philippine Rugby Football Union held its annual general meeting last week and will officially announce the next term of Board Trustees in the new year.An end of an era for three stalwart supporters and volunteers of Philippine Rugby has been announced at Philippine Rugby’s annual general meeting. Three long-standing trustees have called their time at PRFU. Steve Payne, Tim Kong and Bill Bailey have all opened up avenues for a new generation of community volunteers to help support Philippine Rugby and pave the way forward. It was in 2011 when Steve Payne first supported Philippine Rugby, he was a national team sponsor for the national women’s and men’s teams and was later elected to the Board of Trustees in 2012. Steve’s role for the Union had been a significant boost to Philippine Rugby with his business acumen, strategic direction and financial contributions which allowed rugby in the Philippines to prosper through a generation of success. “It’s been both a challenging & rewarding 10 years on the board & I feel my efforts have greatly benefited rugby in the Philippines in all areas as a whole, aside just from the financial support. COVID has changed our world (& rugby). As the old guard steps down, it’s time for others to take the lead on the board in tackling these challenges, as well as continuing to build unity within the clubs. I wish the new board & the rugby community every success in the future & I would like to thank those who understand & supported me during my term” shared Payne. For the past decade, it has been known Steve Payne had a positive influence on rugby development and operations in the Philippines. His knowledge of providing best practices for the Union to be run as a business has helped the PRFU to operate efficiently and effectively. Payne provided a significant investment and interest in national programs over the years and more recently local development and competitions to ensure the local rugby community had a platform to thrive. Payne also contributed to making the Union transition into a professional office environment and set standards for accounting procedures that assisted the union greatly. Another tremendous volunteer who calls time for PRFU is William ‘Bill’ Bailey. Bailey was co-opted in 2012 to step in and later was officially elected to the role of Treasurer from 2012 to 2021. Bailey has also played an integral role in Philippine Rugby, most importantly managing the Union’s finances for close to a decade as well as having an oversight role in relation to compliance and contract law. “When I took over as Treasurer of PRFU back in 2012 I am not sure I could ever have imagined that I would hold or support that role for more than a decade! It’s been quite the ride, and I can look back with a sense of satisfaction on what we have achieved both on and off the field. I wish the new board every success for the years ahead, and look forward to following future achievements in this wonderful game at both grassroots and national teams levels.” Bailey shares. “Bill has been another pillar of stability for the Union, his expertise as a chartered accountant and legal verification has ensured Philippine Rugby operates as a top national sports association in the country. His countless hours which involved daily oversight allowed our operations team to ensure we were staying and remaining in a strong financial and management position consistently,” Letts added. The final trustee calling his time was Tim Kong, a former National Team player who was elected in 2016. Kong had been in the advisory role for all national programs ensuring each team was in the best position to perform on the national stage. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my 6 years on the board of the PRFU; crafting pathways for developing players into our national program as well as competing at the highest level. Our gold medal at the SEA games 2019 will always be a highlight for me but I will always focus on what the Philippine rugby community has given back to me. Not only did I meet my wife through the rugby community but I've made countless lifelong friends, seen communities grow through rugby development and witnessed first hand what this community can do for marginalized individuals. This sport of ours is unique and amazing, I'm extremely proud of PRFU and look forward to seeing its further growth in the years to come” Kong added. Ada Milby, the current President of the PRFU passed on the following message on behalf of the Philippine Rugby community to thank the three outgoing trustees with the following message: “I’d like to express my deep gratitude for the outgoing trustees and ex-officio. We are a voluntary board and everyone puts in a lot of time and effort because of our commitment and passion for Rugby. Bill, Steve and Tim all made massive contributions to the organization spanning more than 10 years and it’s safe to say we wouldn't be where we are today without them." Philippine Rugby Football Union held its annual general meeting last week and will officially announce the next term of Board Trustees in the new year.An end of an era for three stalwart supporters and volunteers of Philippine Rugby has been announced at Philippine Rugby’s annual general meeting. Three long-standing trustees have called their time at PRFU. Steve Payne, Tim Kong and Bill Bailey have all opened up avenues for a new generation of community volunteers to help support Philippine Rugby and pave the way forward. It was in 2011 when Steve Payne first supported Philippine Rugby, he was a national team sponsor for the national women’s and men’s teams and was later elected to the Board of Trustees in 2012. Steve’s role for the Union had been a significant boost to Philippine Rugby with his business acumen, strategic direction and financial contributions which allowed rugby in the Philippines to prosper through a generation of success. “It’s been both a challenging & rewarding 10 years on the board & I feel my efforts have greatly benefited rugby in the Philippines in all areas as a whole, aside just from the financial support. COVID has changed our world (& rugby). As the old guard steps down, it’s time for others to take the lead on the board in tackling these challenges, as well as continuing to build unity within the clubs. I wish the new board & the rugby community every success in the future & I would like to thank those who understand & supported me during my term” shared Payne. For the past decade, it has been known Steve Payne had a positive influence on rugby development and operations in the Philippines. His knowledge of providing best practices for the Union to be run as a business has helped the PRFU to operate efficiently and effectively. Payne provided a significant investment and interest in national programs over the years and more recently local development and competitions to ensure the local rugby community had a platform to thrive. Payne also contributed to making the Union transition into a professional office environment and set standards for accounting procedures that assisted the union greatly. Another tremendous volunteer who calls time for PRFU is William ‘Bill’ Bailey. Bailey was co-opted in 2012 to step in and later was officially elected to the role of Treasurer from 2012 to 2021. Bailey has also played an integral role in Philippine Rugby, most importantly managing the Union’s finances for close to a decade as well as having an oversight role in relation to compliance and contract law. “When I took over as Treasurer of PRFU back in 2012 I am not sure I could ever have imagined that I would hold or support that role for more than a decade! It’s been quite the ride, and I can look back with a sense of satisfaction on what we have achieved both on and off the field. I wish the new board every success for the years ahead, and look forward to following future achievements in this wonderful game at both grassroots and national teams levels.” Bailey shares. “Bill has been another pillar of stability for the Union, his expertise as a chartered accountant and legal verification has ensured Philippine Rugby operates as a top national sports association in the country. His countless hours which involved daily oversight allowed our operations team to ensure we were staying and remaining in a strong financial and management position consistently,” Letts added. The final trustee calling his time was Tim Kong, a former National Team player who was elected in 2016. Kong had been in the advisory role for all national programs ensuring each team was in the best position to perform on the national stage. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my 6 years on the board of the PRFU; crafting pathways for developing players into our national program as well as competing at the highest level. Our gold medal at the SEA games 2019 will always be a highlight for me but I will always focus on what the Philippine rugby community has given back to me. Not only did I meet my wife through the rugby community but I've made countless lifelong friends, seen communities grow through rugby development and witnessed first hand what this community can do for marginalized individuals. This sport of ours is unique and amazing, I'm extremely proud of PRFU and look forward to seeing its further growth in the years to come” Kong added. Ada Milby, the current President of the PRFU passed on the following message on behalf of the Philippine Rugby community to thank the three outgoing trustees with the following message: “I’d like to express my deep gratitude for the outgoing trustees and ex-officio. We are a voluntary board and everyone puts in a lot of time and effort because of our commitment and passion for Rugby. Bill, Steve and Tim all made massive contributions to the organization spanning more than 10 years and it’s safe to say we wouldn't be where we are today without them." Philippine Rugby Football Union held its annual general meeting last week and will officially announce the next term of Board Trustees in the new year. ICYMI the Philippine Volcanoes Men’s rugby sevens team reached the podium in Korea recently after round 2 of the 2022 Asia Sevens Series. This weekend they return to competition to cap off the series in Al Ain, UAE. The Philippine team became a highlight on day one after going two from three, most impressively defeating Japan, the most decorated and successful Asian Rugby team in history. In that fixture the Volcanoes scored two tries to one while adding in some desperate defence to hold the Japanese attack 12 to 5 in favour of the Philippines. A match winning turnover after a dominate tackle from Rafael Julian Phillips secured the Philippines first win over Japan in their 13 years. Another win over Malaysia later in the day secured the Philippines into the top four teams for the finals series. Day two saw the Volcanoes up against defending champions Hong Kong for a spot in the gold medal match. Hong Kong proving too strong running away 17 points to 0. This result saw the Philippines play for the bronze in Asia, a feat last achieved in 2018. The third place playoff came against Sri Lanka, a team who also played strongly leading up to this fixture, however it was the Volcanoes who ran away victorious 24 to 7. “It’s a huge step in the right direction for our program, we aim to be consistently in the top 3 of Asia and this is a great result. It is a testament to the hard work and preparation that our team has been putting in on and off the field under our Coach Darryl Suasua. We look forward to the next tournament and trying to do even better this weekend in UAE. We are back in training prepping for what looks to be another competitive weekend of rugby 7s” shares Co-Captain Kai Ledesma Stroem. The Korea 7s results will go down as a special milestone for Philippine Rugby, not only beating Japan for the first time in their history, but once again taking home a bronze medal in Asia against the regions best, a combined double feat yet to be achieved for the Union. This weekend sees a bigger challenge, traveling to UAE to face the same eight teams on on a different turf. The team will be boosted by some additional recruits to help strengthen the squad and to also aim to perform at their best once again. “This weekend will be extremely tough in hot conditions, hopefully we can execute and be accurate, and prove once again the Philippine Team can perform at the highest level in Asia” added Jake Letts of Philippine Rugby. The national women’s team will also travel and play in UAE, the team finished in seventh place in Korea after a dominant win over Malaysia 19 to 0 in their final match.
The squad looks to progress through the rankings each tournament to hold their position in the top division of women’s rugby in Asia. The Volcanoes were promoted from Division 2 after the 2019 Asia Trophy Series and are now being exposed to Olympic standards of rugby when they face experienced teams against the likes of China and Japan on a more regular basis. The aim of the program to continually improve and remain a core team in the Asia Sevens Series. "The women's program is improving with each game, this weekend the girls will have another opportunity to play top level teams in Asia to see how best we can compete. Coach Taua'a and Brown have been preparing the girls all week for what looks to be another competitive weekend" added Letts. This week the women's will face China, Thailand and Sri Lanka in Pool B. Whilst the men's have drawn UAE, Japan and Korea also in Pool B. Round 3 of the Asia Sevens three leg series will be played in Al Ain on November 26 and 27. For more information contact Philippine Rugby via their website. All matches are streamed live via Facebook. Philippine Rugby would like to thank the direct program support from the Philippine Sports Commission, Globe Telecom, JML Philippines, Pillar Sports and Fitness First. |
Stay connected with us!
Archives
January 2023
Categories
All
|