THE national men’s rugby team Volcanoes blasted Thailand, 41-7, to rule the Asian Rugby Sevens Trophy in Qatar over the weekend and propel its way back to the Asian Sevens Series (A7S), or Rugby Sevens.
The Volcanoes were unrelenting against the erstwhile fellow undefeated Thais and with a rapid series of tries, posted a commanding 29-0 lead at the half.
Thailand made a gallant stand in the second half but managed only one try, as the Volcanoes wrapped up the trophy with two tries of their own.
“A real team effort to win this tournament. The players put in the hard yards and really played for each other. This win was for all our supporters, we appreciate all the support we have received,” Volcanoes captain Daniel Bembo Matthews said.
The victory pushed the Volcanoes to the Rugby Sevens, a top-tier competition in Asia where teams from Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea seeing action.
The A7S will be played through September and October in Hong Kong, Korea and Sri Lanka.
“It’s been an amazing start to 2017, very proud of the coaching staff and the players. It sets the foundation for our Southeast Asian (SEA) Games preparation also. Having support from both Globe Telecom and the PSC allows our preparation to be where it needs to be to perform at the top in Asia,” Philippine Rugby Football Union head Jake Letts said.
Ten countries took part in the Doha tournament, with the Philippines opening its campaign with dominant victories against Nepal and Qatar and highlighting its winning run by blanking Iran, 42-0, in the quarterfinals.
The Volcanoes had a scare in their semifinal encounter against Southeast Asian rival Singapore. They trailed 7-10, but clawed their way back for a close 12-10 victory, thanks to Vincent Amar Young’s clincher in the final play.
Matthews was awarded the Most Valuable Player trophy, while Timothy Bweheni was proclaimed Man of the Match.
The Volcanoes will compete in the Singapore SEA 7s on April 14 and 15.