THE VOLCANOES BLOW TOP OFF MALAYSIA; PHILIPPINES SECURES BACK-TO-BACK UNIONS CUP CHAMPIONSHIPS

by Mark Villamora

NONTHABURI, THAILAND — The Philippine Volcanoes are still the kings of the rugby pitch.
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In a high-stakes showdown at the Nonthaburi Provincial Stadium on Saturday, July 18, the Philippines unleashed a devastating second-half scoring blitz to dismantle a resilient Malaysian squad, 39-18, successfully defending their Unions Cup title.
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Following dominant tournament victories over Laos (74-0) and Singapore (33-10), the Volcanoes entered the finals facing their steepest test yet. Last year's champions—who captured the crown in Kaohsiung, Taiwan—found themselves locked in a tight contest through the opening 40 minutes before completely pulling away after the break.

A First-Half Pendulum

The Philippines struck first and struck hard. Just five minutes into the match, James Halasan Ryan weaponized pure brute strength, bulldozing through the Malaysian defense following consecutive, grinding scrums near the try line. A successful conversion by Ryan Rodriguez Curtis put the Volcanoes up 7-0 early.

But Malaysia refused to back down. They chipped away at the lead with an 11th-minute penalty kick, and despite pulling another attempt wide shortly after, they seized the momentum. In the 20th minute, Malaysia exposed a rare gap in the Philippine backline to score their opening try, jumping ahead 10-7.

The rest of the half played out like a chess match. Ryan Curtis leveled things at 10-10 with a clutch 28th-minute penalty kick, only for Malaysia to pierce through the defense three minutes later for their second try of the afternoon. A missed conversion left the score at 15-10.

Ryan Rodriguez Curtis steps up to deliver a crucial 28th-minute penalty kick, bringing the Volcanoes level at 10-10.

​Just when it looked like the Volcanoes would head into the sheds trailing, magic struck right at the halftime whistle. Jason Bonilla Schirmer orchestrating a beautiful, crisp pass to Edlen Hernandez, who dotted it down to equalize. A massive Malaysian block on the conversion kept the score deadlocked at 15-15 at the break.

Volcanoes Erupt in the Second Half

Whatever adjustments the Philippine coaching staff made at halftime worked flawlessly. The Volcanoes came out for the second half playing with an entirely different level of physicality and pace.

The breakthrough came in the 48th minute when Richard Nicholas Lewis put the team on his back, trampling over a stubborn Malaysian defense to score a massive try. Curtis tacked on the extra points, putting the Philippines back in control at 22-15. Curtis then extended the lead to 25-15 in the 62nd minute with another clinical penalty kick.

Malaysia gave one final gasp in the 69th minute, slotting a penalty to trim the deficit to 25-18, but that only served to wake the sleeping giant.

The final ten minutes belonged entirely to the Philippines, highlighted by a breathtaking, coast-to-coast team try. Kai Ledesma Stroem launched a deep, calculated kick that a chasing Vince Young miraculously secured. Young quickly shipped the ball to Ned Plarizan Stephenson, who linked up perfectly with Charles Amistozo Warren for a spectacular, diving finish across the try line. Curtis nailed the conversion to make it 32-18.

Charles Amistozo Warren dives across the try line to cap off a clinical team play in the 71st minute, extending the Philippines' lead to 32-18 following Ryan Curtis' successful conversion.

​​Four minutes later, Connor Browne put the exclamation point on the championship performance, bulldozing his way over the line for one final try. Curtis maintained his near-flawless kicking display to seal the 39-18 scoreline.
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Bringing the Cup Home

With the victory, the Volcanoes solidify their era of dominance in the tournament. Even better news for Filipino rugby fans? They won't have to travel far to see the defense of the crown. It was confirmed that the Philippines will officially host the Unions Cup next year, bringing the action right to the home crowd as they eye a historic three-peat.

| Photos by Azrael Coladilla

About the Philippine Rugby Football Union 
The Philippine Rugby Football Union (PRFU) is the governing body for rugby in the Philippines. Established in 1998, PRFU is dedicated to developing and promoting rugby across the country, from grassroots participation to elite competition. The Union oversees domestic competitions, national development programs, and the Philippine national rugby teams, with the goal of growing rugby as a leading sport in the Philippines.

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