| Bacolod City, Philippines | Wednesday, April 22, 2015 |
 |
|
| Front Page | |
| Negros Oriental | |
| Star Business | |
| Opinion | |
| Sports | |
| Star Life | |
| People & Events | |
|
|
|
|
Asian Rugby crown
|
Determined to capture the Asian Rugby Championship title, the Philippines Volcanoes will host the Division 1 of the tournament from May 6 to 9 at the Philippine Sports Stadium in Bocaue, Bulacan. The country's national men's rugby team are scheduled to compete with Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan and Singapore, with the hope of retaining the Volcanoes' top position in the Division 1. Formerly known as the Asian 5 Nations tournament, the 15-a-side competition was restructured into the Asian Rugby Championship, bringing the Elite Division from the top five countries down to three. Perennial powerhouses Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea remain in the Elite Division, while fourth and fifth seeds Philippines and Sri Lanka join the Division 1. The Volcanoes will kick off its bid against Singapore on May 6 with the winner to face the winner of the Sri Lanka and Kazakhstan match on May 9 where the winner will be declared Division 1 champion. ”Although we're currently the top seeds in Division I, this will by no means be a walk in the park,” Matt Cullen, director for rugby of the Philippine Rugby Football Union, told Manila reporters. Cullen said this is the first time that Division 1 will feature four teams that were all formerly part of the top 5 Elite Division. Oliver Abalos Saunders, team captain of the Volcanoes, is hoping draw inspiration from the Filipino crowd. Over the last five years, the Volcanoes have consistently ranked among the most successful Philippine sports teams. The Volcanoes qualified in the 2013 Rugby Cup Sevens held in Moscow. In the recent 17th Asian Games, the Volcanoes finished fifth place overall. The Volcanoes men's and women's 7s teams will compete in the forthcoming Southeast Asian Games in Singapore. The Philippines won rugby gold medal in the 2005 Manila SEA Games and silver in the 2007 Thailand meet.*PNA
|
|
Sports |
|
|
|
|
|
