Philippines to host Asian Rugby Championship

Photo: Dennis Muthuthanthri

The Philippine Rugby Football Union has won the right to host Division 1 of the Asian Rugby Championship (ARC) on May 6 and 9, 2015 at the brand new Philippine Stadium in Bulacan. The tournament will feature the Philippine Volcanoes, the country’s national men’s Rugby team against top-ranked teams from the region. The ARC is the first international sporting event that will be held in the 25,000-seater Philippine Stadium, which is part of the world-class Ciudad de Victoria complex in Bulacan, owned by the Iglesia ni Cristo organization.

The Asian Rugby Championship, formerly known as the Asian 5 Nations, is Asia’s premier competition for Rugby Union. The Philippines, ranked 4th in Asia, is the top-ranked team in Division 1, followed by Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan and Singapore.  

“The Philippine Stadium was the key to securing the right to host the tournament,” shares PRFU Director for Rugby, Matt Cullen. “Upon inspection, the tournament officials were immediately impressed with this world-class facility. We’re grateful for the incredible support that the INC has shown throughout the bidding process which thankfully resulted in the Philippines’ being awarded hosting duties.”

The ARC kicks off on May 6 with the Sri Lanka doing battle against Kazakhstan at 2pm, while the Philippines goes up against Singapore at4pm. May 9 will pit the loser of match 1 and match 2 in a battle for third place at 4pm, while at 6pm, the winners of match 1 and 2 fight it out to be declared Division 1 champions.

Photo: Dennis Muthuthanthri

“We’re very excited to be back playing on home soil” says Volcanoes Captain, Oliver Abalos Saunders. “The prospect of playing in front of our countrymen and relatives never fails to pump up the team. It’s a special feeling to feel and hear the crowd’s support. It definitely pushes us to do better.”