 The Globe Philippine Volcanoes celebrate their win in the Asia Rugby Sevens Trophy in the presence of Qatar Rugby Federation (QRF) president Yousef al-Kuwari, QRF secretary general Abdulla al-Khater and Asia Rugby secretary general Qais al-Dhalai at the Aspire Warm Up and Rugby Stadium yesterday. CREDIT: Shemeer Rasheed The Philippine National Men's Rugby Sevens Team, proudly sponsored by Globe Telecom, bested 10 other countres to win the top prize in the Asian Rugby Seves Trophy competition in Doha, Qatar.
Coming out of the first day on top of their pool with dominant wins versus Nepal and Qatar, the Volcanoes started day two of the competition by defeating Iran 42 to 0 in the Quarter Final to set up a Semi-Final battle with SEA Games rivals, Singapore. A strong start had Singapore leading the match 10 - 7, but the Volcanoes kept their composure and produced try by Vincent Amar Young on the final play, ending the match at 12-10. The narrow win pushed the Philippines into the Grand Final against Thailand, which had also yet to drop a game in the competition. In the Final, the Globe Ph Volcanoes wasted no time and produced a rapid series of tries which gave them a commanding 29 points to 0 lead at halftime. Thailand attempted a comeback in the second half, but only managed one try and conversion before the Philippines finished them off with a final two tries ending the match 41 - 7. The Philippine Captain Daniel Bembo Matthews was awarded Most Valuable Player of the competition, while Timothy Bweheni was proclaimed Man of the Match. "A real team effort to win this tournament. The players put in the hard yards and really played for each other. This win was for all our supporters, we appreciate all the support we have received" claimed Matthews. With this win, the Philippines gains entry back into the Asian Sevens Series (A7S) which is the Rugby Sevens competition among top tier teams in Asia such as Japan, Hong Kong and Korea. The A7S will be played through September and October in Hong Kong, Korea and Sri Lanka. "It's been an amazing start to 2017, very proud of the coaching staff and the players. It sets the foundation for our Southeast Asian Games preparation also. Having support from both Globe Telecom and the PSC allows our preparation to be where it needs to be to perform at the top in Asia" shares Letts, National Teams Head of the PRFU. The Globe Ph Volcanoes will compete next month at the Singapore SEA 7s on April 14 and 15.  Left, Chris Everingham (Strength and Conditioning Coach), William Bailey (Treasurer and Board Trustee), Ernest Cu, (Globe CEO) Rick Santos (President) and Jake Letts (National Teams Head) pictured together at the signing ceremony at Globe Tower. Manila, Philippines: The Philippine Men’s National 7s Rugby Team, more commonly known as the Philippine Volcanoes have recently signed a four year sponsorship deal with telecommunications giant, Globe Telecom. The partnership takes the Globe Ph Volcanoes through to 2020, with a vision of the national team being at their peak for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Qualifications. “Over the next four years, Philippine Rugby has identified key events leading into 2020. Globe has actually had an interest in Rugby as far back as 2010, so we are excited to be renewing ties with one of the Philippines’ most iconic brands. The renewal allows our national team to step up the professionalism and boost our chances of performing well in key events each year” shares Jake Letts, National Teams Head. In 2017 the PH Volcanoes are aiming to repeat their Gold Medal winning performance from the 2015 SEA Games, while also setting their sights on a podium finish at the Asian Games in 2018. The Philippines finished a respectable fifth place at the 2014 Asian Games. “I believe with the right roster and valuable time playing together we can reach that podium in 2018” adds Letts. For 2019 the national team will have additional motivation for a Gold Medal when the Southeast Asian Games is held in the Philippines. “With the Philippines hosting the SEA Games in 2019, we believe sport in general will be huge in the country. We look forward to showing why Rugby is such a rapidly growing sport and of course playing in front of our supporters. The SEA Games in 2019 will be a spectacle and we want Rugby 7s to be leading the way” claims Letts. With the support of Globe Telecom, the investment will focus on professionalizing the national Rugby 7s program in the Philippines. This will allow the Volcanoes to be even more competitive with the top level teams in Asia. A four year strategic plan leading into the 2020 Olympic Qualifications puts Philippine Rugby at the forefront. The road to 2020 kicks off this weekend in Doha as the Volcanoes compete in the 2017 Asia Trophy Series. The Globe Ph Volcanoes must finish in first place to qualify to the 2017 Asian Sevens Series. The Asian Sevens Series is a three leg tournament to be played in Hong Kong, Korea and Sri Lanka across September and October this year. The team will be coached by former New Zealand All Black Frano Botica and David Johnston.  Joe Palabay Dawson will make his debut for the Globe Ph Volcanoes this weekend in Doha. |
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