Volcanoes seek impressive finish in ARFU

MANILA, Philippines – Armed with better preparations this time, the Philippine men’s rugby sevens team eye a stronger performance in the second leg of the Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU) Sevens series on Sept. 6-7 in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.

The Volcanoes Sevens, who fell short of an explosive finish in the series’ kickoff leg in Hong Kong, seek to bounce back in the Malaysia tourney, where they are pitted against Thailand and Hong Kong, the winner of the competition at home, in Pool A’s opening day action at Stadium MBPJ.

“The Hong Kong leg reinforced the fact that we need more than just five days of preparation in order to do well against other teams. We’ve had twice the preparation time for the Malaysia Sevens, so hopefully, we build on our team’s structure and performance” said Volcanoes captain Jake Letts.

Tapped to carry the fight for Phl are Andrew Penaflorida Wolff, Timothy Bweheni, Kenneth Capinpin Stern, Ricky Alarcon Kucia, Gareth Dela Rosa Holgate, Letts, Sean Celada Lynch, Ned Plarizan Stephenson, Vincent Amar Young, Robert Amalay Jones, Jason Celada Lynch and Justin Villazor Coveney.

Geoff Alley will call the shots while Cullen will serve as manager and Stephanie Yee will be their physiotherapist.

The Philippine Rugby Football Union admitted the level of competition has become fiercer than ever but expressed confidence the Volcanoes Sevens will respond well to the challenge.

“With Rugby Sevens making its debut as an official sport in the 2016 summer Olympics, the region’s teams have all stepped up their Rugby programs in terms of funding, facilities and coaching staff. We’ve seen a marked improvement in the performance in many of the teams, making the competition that much tougher.” PRFU Director for Rugby Matt Cullen said.

“While Rugby powerhouses Japan and Hong Kong have always been formidable, Korea, Sri Lanka and China have definitely stepped up their game as well. Even Singapore has a semi-professional team now. The amount of time the players train together is crucial to performance and that is always the obstacle we have to overcome” he added.

Letts, one of the most seasoned campaigners in the team, agreed.

“We have always been the underdogs. We’re used to having to face hurdles that other teams don’t necessarily encounter. I’d like to think that these challenges are what unite us and drive the team forward for our country,” he said.

The Malaysia Sevens campaign will serve as the final international tournament for the Volcanoes before they embark on their medal drive in the Incheon Asian Games later this month.