After 60 minutes, a 19 to 17 point lead for the Philippines wasn’t enough, as the Hong Kong Warriors finished off with a late point haul in the last twenty minutes to take the win against the PH Rising Stars Rugby team.

In a David and Goliath match up, the Philippine Rising Stars showed promising talent up against their experienced counter parts, the Hong Kong Warriors. The national development rugby team of the Philippines, backed by First Pacific and the MVP Sports Foundation, were on a road to producing a remarkable upset as they faced a fiercely competitive Hong Kong Chinese national team.

The Rising Stars matched their counter parts play for play, the Warriors started the match strongly scoring out wide to give the visiting team a 5 point head start. Not long after, pressure upon pressure forced the Rising Stars to be awarded a penalty try which gave them a lead of 7 points to 5 after 15 minutes of play. The Warriors answered back with a try of their own taking the lead 12 to 7. In the 24th minute, half back and Clark Jet Joemari Rauras broke through the defence to set up Jovic Paypon under the posts to hand back the lead for the Philippines making it 14 to 12 with Jonel Madrona successfully converting the try. The Warriors however kept their composure and scored right before half time making it 17 to 14 after 40 minutes of play.

After the second half break the Philippines answered with an intercept by Paypon to set up Santos Knight Frank Maverick Ronald Fong with a runaway try. The Rising Stars taking the lead 19 to 17. From here it was all the Warriors, putting on 17 unanswered points to make it 34 to 19. Fong yet again found himself on a turnover ball to make it a double with a runaway to close the scoreline to 34 to 26. Hong Kong however forced the game out of reach with another try to make it a final score 41 to 26 to the visitors.

“It was close, an exciting start to what could have been. The Philippines looked to be the form team for 60 minutes, however Rugby is an 80 minute game and Hong Kong showed their experience in the end. Credit to both teams, overall it was really positive day for Rugby development for both nations” shared Jake Letts of Philippine Rugby.

The program has been ongoing for 5 years, and both Unions use the program to identify talent for the top national programs. All players are selected from the unions grassroots programs to establish a pathway for further national representation.

Just last week, it was the Philippine Volcanoes who played on the world stage against Hong Kong, today the grassroots of each nation face off in a international development series, the prize, the First Pacific Cup.

Philippine Rugby and Hong Kong Rugby have invested in this National Development Series for the last 5 years, a pathway for local grassroots and their pathway towards the top level national team.

“It’s a great program to have, one in which I am both sure Unions are proud of” shared Philippine Rugby’s General Manager Jake Letts.

Both national squads are compromised of born and bred grassroots players, who have shown individual talent to be selected in this program. Mixing the best players from each local club to play for their national development teams.

“Our vision for this program is to establish development pathways for locally developed players, players who may not have had the experience our fellow Philippine heritage players have had overseas. We see the difference in opportunities and levels overseas, so we aim to replicate a similar path for our players who learned the game here” added Letts.
The Rising Stars, backed by MVP Sport Foundation supports athletes who show potential for national sports in Olympic events. Since Rugby is an Olympic sport, the foundation provides opportunities for the top players to be scouted and coached by the top coaches in the country to give athletes opportunities to play at the highest level.
The Rising Stars take on the Hong Kong Warriors at 3:00pm, Saturday at Southern Plains, Calamba. A curtain raiser match will be played before with the Hong Kong Dragons playing The Extincts Rugby Team at 12:30pm

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The Philippine Volcanoes, backed by Globe Telecom are less than 24 hours away before they kick off what is to be, the highest level of competition they have played since their debut at the Rugby Sevens World Cup in 2013.

The Volcanoes finished 3rd in the Asia Sevens Series last year, which have earned them a prestigious position in the World Series Qualifier division. Only two Asian nations have earned the right to play in this division. On one side, the top 15 teams in the world will be playing in Round 7 of the HSBC Sevens Series, where Hong Kong will be hosting the Cathay Pacific HSBC Hong Kong Sevens. On the other side, the next best 12 teams in the world will be vying to qualify for the 2020 World Series, with the champion team being promoted to the top 15 teams in the world.

Team Philippines have been grouped with host nation Hong Kong, Tonga  and Zimbabwe in the qualifier division. Team Captain Danny Bembo Matthews is optimistic about the teams chances. “We have played Hong Kong quite regularly in the past at the Asia Sevens Series, each year we get closer, so hopefully we can go one step further. For Zimbabwe, they have beaten us twice after the bell, so again hopefully we have the fitness to get one over them this time. For Tonga we know they are going to be a physical side so hopefully we can match them there and use speed as a difference”.

The Philippines have been in a nine day high intensity training camp, and are now in Hong Kong ready to take the field. Matthews had the honour to represent the Philippines amongst all captains for this weekends competitions. “To be captain is obviously a great honour, to actually be here doesn’t happen often, last time we were here was 2012, and we have the support of the whole Philippines behind us, we are very excited to have that”.

Coaches Frano Botica and David Johnston have selected the top 12 players to compete for the Philippines. Over the last two seasons the Volcanoes have progressed from ninth in Asia to third, with a pool of national players. The coaches have selected the top 12 players from the last two years who have all played consistently strong for the national team to handle the pressure and occasion of what may be, their biggest tournament to date. “It’s a special tournament, being part of the top 27 nations for Rugby sevens in the world will require our most elite and experienced athletes. In a division with teams such as Ireland, Russia, Germany and Tonga, the level is going to be extremely high, it will be an exciting challenge for the Philippines” shared Jake Letts , General Manager for Philippine Rugby.

Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Chairman of Ayala Corporation was a special guest at the 2019 Players Presentation at the Globe Tower, speaking on behalf of Ayala and Globe Telecom who signed as the headline sponsor for the Volcanoes from 2017 to 2020.

The players selected to play in this weekends World Series Qualifier have been released.

1. Mark Mapacpac Roberts
2. Joe Palabay Dawson
3. Vincent Amar Young
4. Timothy Bweheni
5. Tim Alonso Berry
6. Jonico Ater Hardwick
7. Patrice Ortiz Olivier
8. Donald Canon Coleman
9. Daniel Bembo Matthews (c)
10. Ryan Reyes Howe
11. Justin Villazor Coveney
12. Robert Luceno Fogerty

Head Coach: Frano Botica
Assistant Coach: David Johnston
Strength & Conditioning / Performance: Chris Alamil Everingham
Physiotherapist: Steph Yee

Match Times:

Friday, April 5:
Vs. Hong Kong - 13:24
Vs. Tonga - 16:08

Saturday, April 6:
Vs. Zimbabwe - 10:30

Venue: Hong Kong Stadium