MATAGAL nang nananalo ang Philippine Volcanoes men’s rugby team sa rehiyon ng Asya pero napansin lamang sila ng publiko nang magkaroon ng kontrobersya ang kanilang higanteng commercial billboard sa EDSA.
Subalit nitong nakaraang buwan, bumalik sa kamalayan ng publiko ang koponan sa pagkakapanalo nila ng medalyang pilak sa 2011 Asian Men’s Rugby 7 Championship na ginanap sa Borneo. Tinalo ng koponan ng Pilipinas ang Kazakhstan, UAE, Malaysia at China.
Nakaharap ng Pilipinas ang Japan para sa kampeonato. Sa isang ekslusibong panayam ni Bandera correspondent Eric Dimzon kay Fil-Australian Jake Letts, inilahad ng team captain ng Philippine Volcanoes kanyang saloobin tungkol sa kanilang kampanya at sa larong rugby.
Will the Philippine Volcanoes compete in the SEA Games this month?
The Volcanoes will not be competing in the SEA Games, unfortunately. The 26th SEA Games in Jakarta will not feature Rugby 7’s as a sport which is a big shame since our 7’s team has been quite successful recently earning a silver medal at the Borneo 7’s Asian Championships.
The top 12 teams in Asia competed at this tournament and the Volcanoes made it to the gold medal match.
It, however went down to Japan in the grand final. The last time the Rugby was included in the SEA Games was in Thailand in 2007 where the Philippines got a silver medal.
So, what tournaments are you scheduled to compete?
The team participates in two forms of Rugby. The first is the traditional style (15’s or 15 players per team) and we compete in the HSBC Asian 5 Nations Tournament (A5N). Our team is currently in Division 1 after successfully winning Division 4, 3, and 2 in successive years from 2008. We will now play next April/May in Division 1 against Singapore, Sri Lanka and Chinese Tapei.
Division 1 is just one level down from the Premier Division of the A5N. The other form of Rugby that we play is 7’s (7 players per team – this is played at SEA Games, Asian Games and the Olympics in 2016) and we compete in international competitions such the HSBC Asian 7’s Series.
Tournaments are held in Shanghai and Borneo every August and September. After our recent success in the Borneo 7’s, we hope to be invited to the the Hong Kong 7s 2012 — the biggest 7’s international tournament in the world.
What does it take to be a good rugby player?
Having certain attributes such as size, strength, speed and agility are an advantage. However, rugby is a sport for everyone and anyone. A good attitude will get you the furthest in the sport and being able to work in a team will make you a great player.
I think that’s what makes the Volcanoes such a good team after all these years. We all play for each other, our families, our supporters and most importantly, for our country.
What will it take for the Philippine Volcanoes to make it to the Rugby World Cup?
Next year, the Volcanoes will compete in Division 1 of the Asian 5 Nations. If we can win that competition, then we qualify for the Premier Division the following year and play in the Top 5 in the Asian 5 Nations — the pinnacle competition of Rugby in Asia. In the Premier Division we’ll be pitted against the top Asian teams such as Japan and Hong Kong.
We’ll have two years to qualify for a spot in the Rugby World Cup in 2015 which will be held in London. That is obviously our main goal. However we always aim to exceed expectations each year and if we can do that for the next two years we can give ourselves every chance of getting there.
We definitely have the coaching staff needed, and with the quality of players in our selection pool growing each year, we can look to improve and compete at the highest level.Our aim is to continue to improve one year at a time.
What do you think is needed for more Filipinos to become interested in rugby ?
I guess just knowledge of the game and how rugby helps you acquire some of the best traits in life. It involves teamwork, skill, knowledge, strength, the will to win and most importantly enjoyment.
It is such a fun game to train and play and also great to watch. Come to our Rugby 101 sessions held at the Ultra Stadium in Ortigas every Monday and Wednesday at 6 p.m. They are free of charge so get involved, meet some new people and even meet some of the Volcanoes. You will love it!
Is the team getting support from the government?
The team does get some support from the government through the Philippine Rugby Football Union which is a recognized National Sports Association.
However we understand that Rugby isn’t the only sport in the Philippines, so the PRFU tries to find other ways to raise funds for us.Regardless of funding, it is our choice to play for the national team and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Are you disappointed that rugby is not as popular as basketball and football here?
We support any athlete or sport in the Philippines. In the end we all play for the same reason, and that is to bring pride to the nation through sport. We all want to make more Filipinos happy.
We hope to one day make Rugby as popular as basketball and football. Hopefully, we can increase our supporter base so that we can share the great victories, the tough losses and possibly one day share the journey of reaching the Rugby World Cup which would go down as one of the greatest ever sporting achievements in Philippines sports history.
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