Phl Volcanoes earn berth in Hong Kong Sevens

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Volcanoes gained a berth in the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens tournament set next month, becoming the 13th Asian team and the newest squad to compete in the largest of the HSBC Sevens World Series events.

Led by Men’s 7s Captain Jake Letts, the Volcanoes qualified in the Hong Kong Sevens after finishing fourth in the inaugural HSBC Asian Sevens last year.

According to the official website of the Philippine Rugby Football Union, the impressive performance of the Volcanoes during the HSBC Sevens World Series’ Borneo 7s outing convinced organizers to invite the team to participate in the Hong Kong Sevens.

The Volcanoes, handled by head coach Matt Cullen and assistant coach Noel Flowers, finished second to Japan.

Organized by the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union and co-title sponsored by Cathay Pacific Airways and HSBC, the Hong Kong Sevens 2012 will be held March 23-25 with around 120,000 spectators from all over the world expected to watch at the 40,000-seater Hong Kong stadium.

The event will feature 24 international teams, including the 12 core teams of the HSBC Sevens World Series: Argentina, Australia, England, Fiji, France, Kenya, New Zealand, Samoa, Scotland, South Africa, USA and Wales.

The Philippines will make its debut in the three-day event together with Guyana, winner of the North American Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA) Sevens championships in Nov. 2011. The addition of two new teams is expected to heat up the competition.

Meanwhile, the Hong Kong Sevens will disclose the new format in the coming weeks.

The final 4,000 event tickets were sold last Jan. 14, marking another sell-out for the Hong Kong Sevens.

For ticket and accommodation information about the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2012, visit www.hksevens.com, www.cathaypacific.com, and their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/HongKong7s.