Volcanoes now among best in Asia

“All my pain and sweat was for this moment right now All from different places, well we came with each other We came together as a team, But we’re leaving as brothers Standing next to one another while we hold up our colors I’m gonna look into the camera and tell my mama Ii love her”  - Nelly, “The Champ”

The Philippine Volcanoes’ historic achievement in the Asian 5 Nations Division 1 Tournament, the first qualifier for the Rugby World Cup 2015, cannot be underscored enough. Sweeping the tournament in spite of the extra match with the new round-robin format has called even the International Rugby Board’s attention to the country’s stunning rise in the sport from relative obscurity six years ago. With the triumph, the Philippines is now promoted to the Premier or Elite Division in Asia, an honor bestowed on the continent’s top five teams.

Going into the opening day of the tournament, Singapore was ranked 52nd in the world, 20 places ahead of the Filipinos. But that all changed after the Philippines ran roughshod over the visitors, 37-20, after a big start. The result: Singapore dropped to 56th in the International Rugby Board rankings, with the Philippines vaulting to 62nd place, just six rungs below. The Volcanoes overtook China, Malaysia and Thailand in the process. Those three other Asian rugby contenders each dropped one notch.

Sri Lanka, with two impressive wins in the round-robin tournament, moved up slightly, from 46th to 43rd. Singapore dropped from 52 to 56, while Chinese Taipei slipped from 57 to 58. The new IRB rankings will come out early tomorrow morning, and will reflect the country’s latest accomplishment.

What has the Philippine Rugby Football Union done to create such success in so short a time? Firstly, the PRFU Board is composed of sportsmen who are passionate about the game. The Board, initially dominated by expatriates, made a conscious decision to involve Filipino businessmen knowing that it would provide greater momentum for the sport in the Philippines. Indeed, it also spurred the massive development program which will ensure continuity even after the current crop of players are past their prime.

Secondly, the PRFU received support from both private sponsors and the Philippine Sports Commission. With rugby 7s being introduced in the 2016 Olympic Games, former PSC commissioner Chito Loyzaga gave the PRFU the agency’s full support. Also, the PRFU Board called in friends who owned or managed multinational companies to initially back the team. But, as they broke into mainstream consciousness both with their winning and their attention-getting underwear billboards on EDSA, the team’s appeal is now snowballing.

Third, the PRFU found dozens of Filipino players who wanted to play for flag and country. The current pool of Volcanoes numbers over 40, including dozens who grew up eating sinigang and adobo abroad while growing up playing high-level rugby. Also, the Volcanoes were blessed to have their chemistry enhanced by all the brothers who played the sport together growing up, and brought that closeness to the team. In 2010, our team had four pairs of brothers. The current squad has three sets of siblings. Since its creation, the Volcanoes have never had less than two pairs of brothers on the team.

Fourth, the PRFU found a Filipino coach who is one of the best in the game. When Expo Mejia was handed the reins by team manager and former head coach Matt Cullen, it added another dimension to the team. Mejia not only had the rare gifts of experience and know-how, he had the connections, and was able to place at least five of our players on highly competitive professional teams in Japan. The Japanese rugby league is allowed four foreign players per team. Three of those imports may have American, Australian or European passports; the fourth may have an Asian passport. In the Volcanoes, Japan has found pros who are Asians, but grew up playing the sport at the same level as their Australian or European counterparts – which brings me to my next point.

Unlike in other sports, the PRFU negotiates pro contracts on behalf of the Volcanoes. At the outset, the mother team is informed that the PRFU needs its players back for national team duty on certain dates as a pre-condition for signing the players. In other sports, the national federation begs to borrow its own players from professional teams.

Most importantly, the Volcanoes, wherever they hailed from, are aware that they are setting a very important foundation, not just in terms of winning, but the spirit in which they perform. They have strived to learn the national anthem (which was clear in the television coverage of both ABS-CBN and ESPN), they talk about their heritage and honoring their mothers and grandparents, and they march into the stands to hug their moms and relatives after every match. That love is now rippling out to their growing Filipino fans.

Soon, it will be tough for us to decide whether we respect the Volcanoes more as outstanding rugby players or as exceptional human beings.