Eagles RFC clinch 2022 Globe 7s Series Open & Women’s division leg 1

Muntinlupa City, Philippines – The Eagles RFC swept the Open & Women’s divisions of the 2022 Globe 7s Series - leg 1, held on the 27th of August at the Alabang Country Club in Muntinlupa City. With a total of seven teams competing for each division, the Eagles RFC teams were able to top their respective pools after a round robin format, win their semis match, and come out on top of tightly-contested finals matches. Both finals matches were decided by 7 points or less.

In the Open division,  the teams who reached the semis were Eagles RFC (Eagles), SKF Makati Mavericks (Mavericks), Manila Nomads (Nomads), and Clark Jets (Jets). The Eagles defeated the Mavericks in extra time - golden point of 17 - 12 to secure the first finals slot. The 2nd semis match, which was between the Nomads and the Jets, ended at 5 - 17 in favor of the Jets – to set up an exciting finals match with the Eagles. Winning the championship with 4 tries and 3 conversions are the Eagles RFC, with Timothy Bweheni named as the MVP of the Open division. 

In the Women’s division, the first semis match was between sister teams SKF Makati Mavericks Ricky (Ricky) and SKF Makati Mavericks Franky (Franky), which ended with a 22 - 0 score in favor of Ricky. The second semis match up was between Clark Jets (Jets) and Eagles RFC (Eagles), with the Eagles securing a finals slot after beating the Jets with 39 - 0. An intense finals match between two of the most experienced teams in Philippine Rugby ended with a single try and conversion deficit for Ricky at 17 - 10 against the Eagles. Eagles RFC’s centre, Dixie Star Yu, was named the MVP of the Women’s division.

Looking forward to the next legs, Women’s division MVP Dixie Yu shares that she “feels great to witness the rugby community alive again [because] it’s honestly very encouraging to see young blood and new faces in the field.” When asked what this championship meant, Yu shared that “winning the first leg of the 2022 Globe 7s Series competition is the cherry on top” for their team. As both divisions were dominated by the Eagles RFC, Yu stated that her main motivation to play  was her love for rugby, and of course, the opportunity of playing for a club with very passionate members.

Tetsuro Nokuo, a member of the Manila Hapons (Hapons), a team that took a very long break from the competition scene also shared their team’s excitement to participate in a high-level competition again. Although limited due to work commitments, the Hapons are looking forward to performing better in the second leg of the Globe 7s Series. When asked what made them return to the playing field, Tetsuro expressed that the opportunity to play is what got them to sign up for the tournament, despite the lack of player availability. 

Final rankings after Open and Women’s division Leg 1:​

Globe 7s Series Open Division Ranking (Leg 1)

Globe 7s Series Women's Division Ranking (Leg 1)

See you all on September 10 at the Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub in Cavite for the second leg of the National Development Division! #SaturdayIsRugbyDay!