Volcanoes emerging force in Asian rugby

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine rugby team Volcanoes dished out an explosive performance in 2013 to emerge as a force in Asia.

The Phl Men’s 15s team finished the year at fourth spot in the continent to maintain their presence in the Asian 5 Nations Premier Division for 2014.

The Volcanoes hacked out an emphatic 24-8 win over the United Arab Emirates in a relegation game at Rizal Memorial Stadium last May to stay in the elite level and now look forward to a battle royale against Asia’s best for tickets to the 2015 Rugby World Cup in London.

Overall, the Volcanoes are positioned at 57th among 118 countries in the International Rugby Board rankings.

As fiery and successful was the Phl Men’s 7s squad, which scored a breakthrough by qualifying for the Rugby World Cup Sevens – the premier Rugby Sevens competition among the top 24 teams in the world – in Moscow last June.

Being the first Philippine team to qualify for a World Cup in over 50 years, the achievement earned the team the moniker of “History Boys” from no less than the International Rugby Board.

The Men’s 7s team also competed in the Asian Sevens Series circuit, snaring Plate Championships in tourneys in Thailand and India.

The Volcanoes hope to sustain this momentum as they vie in next year’s Asian Games in Incheon, Korea, where Rugby Sevens is a featured sport.

The Philippine Rugby Football Union was also awarded the Asian Rugby Football Union “Development Award” for 2014 in recognition of the Union’s efforts to promote and develop the sport of Rugby in the Philippines.