THE Philippine National Men’s and Women’s Rugby Sevens Teams, more popularly known as the Philippine Volcanoes, are in the final stage of their preparations for next month’s Southeast Asian Games.
The Men’s and Women’s training squads of 18 players each will compete for a position in the final 12-member teams to depart for Singapore on June 3 and compete in the SEA Games Rugby Sevens tournament at Choa Chu Kang Stadium June 6 and 7.
The 28th Southeast Asian Games will see the re-inclusion of Rugby Sevens since it was last played during the 2007 Games where hosts, Thailand took home the Gold and the Philippines settled for Silver in the Men’s Division.
During an eight-year hiatus from the SEA Games roster, the sport of Rugby Sevens has enjoyed a growing popularity worldwide, with its fast pace, dynamic skill set, and exciting means of scoring, which has also elevated the sport to an Olympic event to be played for the first time at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
“While the Men’s team competed in the 2005 and 2007, this is the first SEA Games appearance for us,” said Lady Volcanoes Captain Acee San Juan.
Coached by Shirley Russell, who is a former member of the Australia National Women’s Rugby Team, the Lady Volcanoes’ training routine includes two sessions a day, at least six times per week, which the team hopes will pay off in Singapore.
“We are fitter, faster, and stronger now. The team underwent an intensive training program under the Philippine Olympic Committee, which consisted of strength & conditioning, sports vision, nutrition training and even sports psychology. We also underwent Rugby Sevens-specific and National Team training camps leading up to this tournament. The support we get from our coaching and management staff plus the system that we have in place now is bringing out the best in us,” San Juan added.