Rugby teams eye podium finish

MANILA, Philippines — Ranged against regional powerhouse Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore, the country’s rugby teams set out for the 30th SEA Games wary but confident of their respective chances when the Rugby 7s are played Dec. 7-8 at Clark, Angeles City Parade grounds in Pampanga.

In fact, the Volcanoes have underscored their readiness for the biennial meet by finishing strong in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Regional Qualifying Tournament in South Korea last week, including a surprising 31-5 romp over the hosts.

The Volcanoes saw the Korean tournament as a perfect ground to test their mettle against their SEAG rivals, giving the Philippines a ranking ground moving forward with the top teams in Asia.

They vow to toughen up in the run-up to the SEAG with the Volcanoes targeting no less than a podium finish after placing fourth the last time out in Kuala Lumpur in 2017.

“Our goal for Rugby 7s is to achieve a podium finish in both the men’s and women’s divisions,” said Philippine Rugby Football Union, Inc. general manager Jake Letts.

He added that both sides would continue their high performance training camps, including stints in regional Olympic qualifying events.

“The women’s team just returned from China after competing in two tournaments where it faced the top eight teams in Asia,” said Letts. “Both (events) played important roles not only for the 2020 Olympics but also for the SEAG.”

The Volcanoes are actually coming off a gold-medal finish in the Trophy Series last August, putting the Philippines to the Top 8 in Asia for the first time since 2014.

“After a second-place finish in the Trophy Series in 2018, the progression to a gold medal this year was the next move in the right direction. Now we have the opportunity to show the top teams in Asia how far we have come in five years,” said Letts, adding that they hope fans and Rugby enthusiasts would come to the Clark Parade Grounds and provide the needed support in their quest of SEAG medals.