Sparkling twin gold for Philippines rugby

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines scored a historic twin kill in the Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Trophy after powerful performances by the Volcanoes 7s men’s and women’s teams over the weekend in Nepal.

With clinical execution and teamwork, the Volcanoes put the finishing touches to their unbeaten title charge with a 27-12 dispatching of Chinese Taipei in the finals.

Dayton Iobu, Kai Stroem, Donald Coleman, Jake Soriano and George Nield scored a try each with Stroem adding one conversion as the Filipinos completed their domination after a sweep of Round 1 versus Jordan (36-0) and Pakistan (52-0) in Group A and victories over Bahrain (19-14) and Sri Lanka (19-12) in the Cup quarterfinals and semifinals.

The Lady Volcanoes, meanwhile, leaned on a late penalty to secure a 7-5 victory over India in a thrilling battle for the gold and cap a similar sweep. On their way to the crown, the Filipinas crushed host Nepal (37-0), Uzbekistan (34-0) and Guam (27-12) in group play then defeated Indonesia (19-10) in the Cup semifinals.

By topping the two-day event, the Volcanoes and Lady Volcanoes earned promotion to the top-tier Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Series next year.

“We are immensely proud of both our women’s and men’s teams for their performances and dedication,” said Ada Milby, president of Philippine Rugby. “Winning double gold at the Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Trophy is a historic achievement for Philippine Rugby, and it reflects the hard work of the athletes, coaches, and support staff to make it happen. We are excited to see the continued growth and success of rugby in the Philippines.”