Behind the scenes: Asian 5 Nations 2012 in Manila!

disclaimer: To those expecting for a pure sports blog, well you’ve gone into the wrong place. this is not the blog you’re looking for coz it won’t give you a blow-by-blow Rugby summary of the games, just narration of behind the scenes events, mishaps and what have you. don’t say you’re not duly warned.

Another milestone achieved for Philippine Sports coz this year, we are the proud host of the prestigious rugby event, the Asian 5 Nations 2012. for those who do not know anything about Rugby, HSBC Asian 5 Nations is an annual international rugby union competition held between the top five Asian national rugby sides. The teams play a round-robin competition held on five consecutive weekends throughout April and May. The competition represents the highest tier of international rugby in Asia, and is the apex of a multi-divisional Asian international calendar. also, our National Team for Rugby, the Philippine Volcanoes was hailed champions in Division 1 after beating all the 3 other teams in their division hence promoting us in Asia’s Top 5 team. if that ain’t awesome, i don’t know what is!

right after the Under 20s Rugby tournament held last December 2011, we already knew that the Philippines is hosting A5N and and that massive work is cut out for us to achieve a successful staging of an international sports event in this country. so when the Philippine Rugby Football Union (PRFU) once again asked for help, I responded right away, ditching everything and immediately filed for a leave of absence at work. it has been a tradition for me actually to help and support the union in any way i can to give back coz i learned Rugby from them and i will forever be grateful for that! =)

last year, I was tasked to be the Liason Officer for Malaysian U-20s team but for A5N, I chose to be with the seniors team of Taiwan, the Chinese Taipei Rugby team. we actually had the free reign to choose whichever team we want to be with and since i already met the coach last year, Coach Pai, Wan-Yin (Edward Pai) when he was with the juniors, i opted to be their LO despite the fact that communication will be a little difficult. And i have a good sense that they’ll be an awesome team to be with (and i am so damn right about that!).

it turned out pretty well, AWESOME actually! I have nothing but praises for these young lads! First meeting was kinda awkward but me & my awesome partner Leslie did warmed up with the team. all it took was a few banters here and there, a little mischief, and some nai cha! viola! we became inseparable! =))))

touring Luneta Park at 2pm under the scorching hot Manila sun! XD

this was taken during our tour in Luneta. t’was scorching hot at 2pm in Manila but the team was still up for the tour! hehehe.. really now, it wasn’t our idea, it was Coach Pai’s idea! hahaha!

so how do i describe the team? they’re pretty young team, young blood, pretty much the youngest team in the tournament. we have players as young as 18 years old and our oldest is 24. i’m even a year older than that player. its a good mix of working & studying individuals who plays and represents their country in the Rugby arena. our first meeting was kinda awkward of course coz we can’t pronounce the names quite correctly, and all I knew was Coach Pai! =)) and communication was a problem, most of the time we have to ask Coach Pai to do the translation to better understand everyone! i remember Coach Pai said to me “You look Chinese, are you Chinese?” i answered “Yes Coach, i’m part Chinese but unfortunately I never learned to speak, understand, and write mandarin! i’m so sorry!” =))) Coach just laughed. he is such a nice guy by the way, always calm and collect. a teacher by profession, the Chinese Taipei Rugby team improved when he started coaching them, starting with their promotion to Division 1 last year up to their campaign to maintain their spot for this year’s A5N.

here’s Coach Pai, Wan-Yin!

looking good, Coach!

he’s a very hands on coach. Running, playing & doing the drills with the team!

it was a bit different approach i had with this team comparing to what i did with Malaysia U-20s. i was able to file a leave for A5N so that means i am free from my real-life work and i was almost always with the team, very much hands on in attending to all their needs and not to mention my partner was also a very hands on and a very protective LO for our team! hahaha! i remember in our game vs the Philippines, Leslie was shouting at the top of her lungs “Not to rough! Please not too rough for my kids!” and Peter from PRFU board was just staring at her w/ his mouth hanging open! hahahaha! hilarious moments during A5N!

here’s my awesome partner Leslie with some of our kids!

when we chose our team, me & Leslie we’re really hoping that they’d be a nice group of lads, praying hard for it actually coz we heard nightmare horror stories of LOs about the teams they’ve handled and we don’t want any of that. and it turned out good. we ended up with the nicest, well-mannered, and fun-to-be-with team! among the 4 teams, they have the least number of requests and most of their requests were just easy to do and manageable. both the coaches were like fathers to us, looking out for us too. =) the players and our physio all play nice, though sometimes they were annoyingly rowdy and naughty (ask the hotel waitresses!) but in general, they are sweet and caring men. very respectful to women and the elders  but at the same time they knew how to have fun! they drink, they party and they love to eat & shop. that’s what they do during their free time. it was definitely a fun & happy week with them!

shopping at Shopwise! I think they demolished the shelf for dried mangoes!

I call them “my kids” coz aside from the fact that they’re way younger than me, they also act like kids! hahaha! i think the words “my kids” as my term of endearment suits them just fine. its always fun when we were with them. what’s amazing about them is that they know how to have fun but they also know when to be serious & productive. they were dead serious during trainings and fierce & ready every game.  i couldn’t be any prouder of them. =)

our pictures during training!

true story: during this training sesh, I was walking quietly on the pitch, holding my DSLR and looking for subjects worth taking snap at when Coach Pai called me and said: “hold this tackle bag for me please..” i was like: “okay, coach.. O_O” did the stance, the one I do when in Rugby 101, then he said “I’ll tackle you!” head straight to me then bam! hahahaha! i was dead scared but good thing it wasn’t a serious tackle from Coach Pai coz I highly doubt if I’ll ever survive that tackle! Coach Pai was laughing at me coz the look on my face was just priceless then he tapped my back and said “Its okay, its just a joke!”

hahaha! Coach Pai did scare the hell out of me there but t’was cool! its not everyday you get tackled by one of the legit rugby coaches here in Asia. I am honored dear Coach Pai!

it was a historic run for Chinese Taipei Rugby team as they’ve just bounced back & got promoted in Division 1 recently. During A5N 2012, our first game versus Sri Lanka was shaky perhaps because the team didn’t have time to prepare and get the players acclimitize to hot Manila weather. Hence it ended with a loss, 29-8.

Determined to bounce back the next game versus the Philippine Volcanoes, our team balanced training, attending functions/commitments for IRB, and relaxation. Found out that Chinese Taipei Team worked brilliantly if they don’t feel as if they’re backs are pushed on the wall, that’s how they are. Coaching is always balanced, never too hard, not too relax either. unfortunately, we weren’t able to snag a win against Philippines, 34-12 but my kids gave the Volcanoes quite a scare when they stretched & demolished the  defense line in the last minutes of the game until finally my kids were able to score.

Game 2 against the Philippines was also nerve-wracking for me & Leslie. 2nd half of the game, one of our kids, Chen, Chia-Han, got hit with a bad tackle from the Philippines and he went down the pitch writhing in pain. We rushed down the tracks to see what happened and to check if he was ok and apparently, he wasn’t. He couldn’t get up after that and worse, he could hardly breathe. Leslie suspects its a broken rib, the medic rushed in & got him to a stretcher off the field. The doctors went on immediately on checking him & administered first aid. It was confirmed, a fracture on the rib. The doctor recommended to rush Chen, Chia-Han to Makati Medical Center for x-ray & further tests to see the extent of the injury. Leslie & Coach Pai went with our kid (Leslie’s a nurse so I asked her to go with Coach coz she knew better than me, I stayed with the team until the game was through). Thank goodness it was just a fractured 7th rib that doesn’t need any surgery. all he needs is rest & chest binder for support, it’ll heal up on its own in weeks. Had it been a broken rib, it’ll be a lot worse coz he’s at risk of puncturing his lung if that’s the case. they were discharged after spending 4hrs at the hospital.

here’s Chen, Chia-Han at the hospital! i won’t forget his name coz I had to memorize his name to get all his medical results & medical certificate before they all went back home to Taiwan. =) it was a close call but glad he’s just fine.

he kept calling us “bad people” for taking & posting his hospital pictures! haha! parang bata talaga i swear! so adorbs..

still in pain after meds were administered.

still smiling.. discharged! Chen, Chia-Han with Coach Pai! the only downside on all of this is that we’re down to 23 players. the doctors didn’t give clearance to Chen, Chia-Han to play on the finals so he was sidelined. He’s a good player & one of the top scorers of the team so its sad to not see him play in the finals but he did well on the first 2 games already.

heart-breaking to see my kids twice defeated but I admire them coz they never lost hope, kept the hunger to win & the fire to get the job done burning. I never saw them sulk and get all depressed with the loss. Finals came and they were even more determined to keep  their spot in Division 1 and not relegated to second division again coz that would mean the end of their campaign for the Rugby World Cup. And it was indeed one of my proud moments during A5N when they were able to win against Singapore, 31-49! i was close to tears really coz i watched them and been there with the team since day 1 and of course the looks on their faces was just priceless when they won. =’)

in one of the media interviews of Coach Pai after they won, he said and I quote “Now that we have managed to retain our position we plan to select a larger squad earlier so that we can focus on our improvement over the next year. Our goal will be to compete at Division I level and crack the Top 5 of the HSBC Asian 5 Nations for the first time.”

I do have high hopes for this team. they’re extreme hard workers and pretty young bunch so really, the chances of getting into top 5 is doable, they just got a lot of growing up to do, more international caps/games to better gain experience and that’s it, i wouldn’t be surprised if i see them playing against the top teams in Asia. what can i say, i just love this team! they won my heart and for that they can be sure that they’ve got a loyal & true fan and friend here in the Philippines!

more of our misadventures with the Chinese Taipei Rugby Team!

meet Shaun, one of our youngest. He maybe 18 years old but he can take on opponents twice as large as him & twice the age too coz he was able to tackle down our “Flying Jeepney” (so sorry Justin Coveney! we still do love you!)! I’m so sorry I’m just proud of Shaun! He’ll grew up a fine man and a good rugby player someday. =) he’s all sun-burned in this pic but refused to put on some sunblock! hahaha! so adorable.. we call him “kukulah” — a Sri Lankan word which means chicken head & he’s always asking: “Kukula?!? why?!?” =))

goofing around in one of our pool sessions! hahaha! kids! the other teams always request for ice baths every after training but my kids, they’re simply content with the hotel swimming pool!

pity this sleeping guy! XD

all smiles! they’re looking at the guy swimming in the public fountain in Luneta and maybe wondering why those men were swimming in a public place! hahaha!

one of our kid trying to replicate Jose Rizal’s pose! hahaha! I gave a little trivia about our national hero Dr. Jose Rizal to them that Rizal is also part Chinese, well most of Pinoys are, like me. they were amazed with the connection & influence the Chinese people have in the Philippines. =)

Sunday, April 22 was my last day as an LO and my last day with them. I sent them off back to Taiwan but surprisingly, we never lost contact. We still talk if given a chance, through facebook chat. they’re updating me about their life after A5N which I really appreciate. I found true friends in the most unlikely places & events and for that I am thankful. I honestly can say I miss them, hanging out with them, story-telling, shopping, Nai Cha moments at Moon Leaf, everything.. and I do hope we get to hang out again sometime in the future.

I owe Rugby a lot. It has taken me to places I’ve never been before and I get to meet people whom I never dreamed of meeting, as in never in my entire 25 years of existence. Rugby even got me new friends i can really count on. so much has changed in my life since i got into Rugby and this Liason Officer experience brought so much change in me since day 1 (last December 2011). It gave me the confidence I never had before, developed my interpersonal communication skills drastically since I have to meet and talk to different kinds of people coming from different culture & upbringing. It made me smart, street-smart perhaps is the correct term and helped me discover all the strengths that i have as an individual. Also, volunteering is a job worth stressing and sweating for.. it makes you fulfilled and makes you feel good about yourself.. true enough VOLUNTEER NOT TO BUILD YOUR RESUME, BUT SO YOU CAN BUILD YOURSELF..

really, its one experience i’ll never forget and will forever be grateful for. so until the next Rugby Adventure guys and keep on moving your feet! =)

**some of the photos here are owned by freelance photographer Mark Cristino and my LO partner Leslie Laya! thanks guys for sharing the pictures! hope you don’t mind me using some of it here.

**More of Mark Cristino’s Rugby photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/streetunka/collections/72157627575497074/, please do check it out.

Bostik 10s League at Nomads Sports Club (Saturday, February 18, 2012)

RUGBY AT THE HOME FRONT: So before we gear up for the most awaited Rugby 7s event here in Asia, the Hong Kong Sevens happening this March, check out some  Rugby happenings here in Manila.

Last saturday, February 18, 2012 was indeed a good day for Philippine Rugby as the 3rd round of Bostik 10s League commenced at Nomads Sport Club in Paranaque with Alabang Eagles, Alabang Ibons, Nomads, and Globe Immortals leading the pack  for the men’s team and Team Xena (formerly Team GL) leading the women’s team  (in terms of standing).

i was suppose to play for Team Xena but unfortunately I got injured while in training. Doctors told me its Patellafemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS) and will be sidelined again for 3 weeks and do therapy to strengthen quads, hamstring and inner thigh muscles. this is my second major injury after I pulled & torn my right calf muscle last year (in Rugby traininng too). its a definite setback i have to admit and i was getting depressed and all for just sitting on the sidelines and watching my mates play and have fun. but the good thing about this whole getting injured stuff is that i was able to indulge the other love of my life which is PHOTOGRAPHY!

Aside from training in PRFU’s Rugby 101 program, I do volunteer work for them every now and then (worked as Liason Officer last December for the Division 2 Under 20s game held in Manila) and made good friends with the Admin officers and the coaches so I was thrilled when Junnel asked me to be the “sort of official” photographer that day. armed with my Nikon D5000 and just my kit lens (18mm-55mm) plus the trusty point-and-shoot Nikon camera of PRFU, i managed to get some good shots last saturday!

Behind the scene photos:

at the match officials tent before the game starts with (l-r) LO Nikki, PRFU Admin Officer Junnel, and LO Mika! Kuya Ren and Ms. Precious at the back chatting.. =)

two of my most favorite coaches: Coach Expo & Coach Grant! their one of the world’s finest! =) took this photo while they’re busy talking about the weather i think! =)))))

yehey! may picture na si Junnel! =)))) (from left to right) my good friend Zsazsa with Nikki & Junnel! i’m not sure what’s the name of the guy at the back!

this is a mix of players from all the women’s team who participated last saturday: Team Xena, MAAP, and  Alabang Bullets.. the girls warming it up before the big game! =)

and still all smiles after a tough game! =)

We’re also honored to have Cebu Dragons as our guest last saturday! They may have been beaten by Alabang Eagles but we cannot deny that these lads fought with all their might! Mga Bai! You have all my respect! hopefully we get to see more of them in the coming games!

man of the match gets this baby from Hardy’s! =)

and last but definitely not the least, 3 of my favorite photos that day!

i got so lucky that these two lads tackled one another near the area where i’m standing so i managed to capture the intense moment. Raging Bisons (in black) versus Manila Vipers (in red). the one in black is a good friend of mine and a former LO too for the U20s event last December, Noel Villa. It wasn’t surprising that he got himself to rugby since before we even started volunteering for PRFU, he’s been a fitness buff and sports junkie too! proud of you Noel! you really had it in you! =) although i have to say that the one in red nailed it! kudos for a priceless game face and superb battle cry! =)))))

the picture is a bit dark but i didn’t brighten it up coz I wanna emphasize the time of the day this photo was taken, its twilight and the two teams (Hapons and Manila Nomads) are still battling it out at the line throw out.. adds drama to the pic don’t you think.. =)

i also had a huge respect for the players of Hapons (in white). i’ve been seeing a lot of “Oji-san” (Grandfathers) playing for the team but they run, kick, and tackle like they’re in their 20′s! i’m just in awe really and i admire how fit they are that despite their age (oldest is 65 years old), they can still play rugby well.

this must have been what it’ll look like playing Rugby during Rizal’s time! and i can’t think of any other way to conclude this blog but with this photo. loving the old world vibe in there…

if there’s one thing i’d wish to see today is that Rugby getting as much attention and popularity as soccer. its a tough sport but there are a lot of values and discipline you’ll get from learning and playing the sport.  i hope one day Pinoys will love the sport as much as I am loving it today..

until the next Rugby adventure and keep on moving your feet! =)

*** Join us guys every Mondays & Wednesdays for FREE Rugby training sessions at Ultra, 6pm to 8pm! Be there!***

Rugby 101 with TEAM XENA! =)

I remember last year when I first set foot in Ultra to join Rugby 101. 1st sesh there, we’re just a total of 5 girls training on the pitch, usually merged with the boys so just to let us experience playing touch rugby.. and after almost a year, I now can see 12 or more girls training every session! what a change it has been! =)

Picking a name for the team also has gone through several evolutions.. starting with tagging us as “TEAM GL (GL for Good-looking)” given I think by Coach Matt, then there was “TEAM ATHENA” given by PHL Dev’t team & Volcanoe member, Arnold Aninion, who’s also one of our coaches. He said the name fits coz Athena is the Greek Goddess of war & wisdom. and finally “TEAM XENA” after Xena the warrior princess.. =)

so now, without further adieu, everyone meet TEAM XENA!

we’re the women’s team formed from Rugby 101. we’re a mix of Rugby newbies & players from the national women’s team for Rugby, Lady Volcanoes. Captained by Lady Volcanoe Cassie Umali. to be honest, its a constant challenge and one hell of a battle for women to be playing the men’s game. you constantly have to prove yourself to everybody and to really get out there and perform/play well so as to earn respect from people so I really am proud of this team! hopefully we can sustain it & be able to have enough players for us to compete in 7s, 10s, and 15s league. =)

Calling all ladies out there, we’re still trying to beef up the squad. Please do join us every mondays & wednesdays at Ultra, 6pm to 8pm for a fun and quality Rugby training! =)

So whoever said that Rugby is for men’s only?! We girls like to kick some ass on the pitch too!

Philippine Volcanoes to participate in Hong Kong Sevens!

i seriously couldn’t be any prouder than i am now.

i’ve seen it first hand, heard it from the players themselves about what it takes to represent your country. it takes a lot of hard work and sacrifices. it wasn’t an easy ride where you constantly aim to go to the top and ultimately to reach the goal of putting the Philippines in the Rugby map and gaining respect from all other Rugby playing nations in Asia then eventually the world…

in every game, the team battle and bleed to give glory & pride to our country.. and now all the hard work, sacrifices, dedication, perseverance, and passion they’ve put in — the team, the coaches, and all the staff has now finally paid off.. We’ve got an invite to compete in one of the most prestigious Rugby tournament in Asia, well perhaps in the whole world, the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens.

It was the Philippine Volcanoes silver medal winning performance in in the Borneo 7s that earned their spot in Hong Kong 7s. We’ve finally proven that the Philippines is a formidable team in the Rugby arena, a team to watch out for in the next couple of years.

Its way beyond “awesome” to be playing against top teams worldwide — New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, and England. its the next best thing to Rugby World Cup, seeing our own play with these formidable teams from around the world and i can definitely say its a dream come true for everyone – the team, PRFU, and the fans and supporters as well. but i always knew, seeing the team, looking at how dedicated they are with the sport, that unfailing love of their Pinoy heritage and their country, i always knew they had it in them, the ability to take the Philippines to the top!

let me take this opportunity to say congratulations to Philippine Volcanoes and to PRFU as well. You did a great job and look at where we are now. just keep it up and we’ll definitely go a long way and i won’t be surprised if we’d be able to go and compete in the next Rugby world cup! And i bid you good luck as well. its time to shine your brightest in HK Sevens 2012! again, best of luck! keep in mind that all of your supporters will just be here, rallying with you guys towards winning!

Go Volcanoes!

RESPECT. DISCIPLINE.  PINOY PRIDE.

mondays will always be for Rugby!

January 28, 2012 marks the start of Philippine Rugby Football Union 10′s League (PRFU 10′s) and I haven’t made up my mind yet if i’m gunna play on saturday or what coz i honestly feel that i’m still a work in progress when it comes to playing rugby. been playing the sport for about 3 months now. I started mid August last year but due to club commitments in soccer, i wasn’t really able to focus on rugby. I went back to playing it right after my birthday in September but was forced to sit on the sidelines last October till end of the year due to injury. In one of the training sesh in Rugby, I pulled my calf muscle really really bad that i had to rest it for a while.

I came back first thing this year and to really be honest with everyone, haven’t gained top form for playing yet. I’m way too far from it actually! hence, i’m still undecided with playing this coming saturday. but i’m doin’ everything i can to shape up and to step up for it. i haven’t missed any training sessions this year and on off training days, i sweat it out in the gym, doin’ mostly cardio & some weights to convert all my fats to muscle mass and also to develop agility & endurance. Rugby training is every Mondays and Wednesdays but since it’s Chinese New Year yesterday and its a holiday, no training sesh was scheduled.

and since me and some of my Rugby teammates were used to training during mondays, we scheduled a little training of our own yesterday morning at the field near Bahay ng Alumni in UP Diliman. We shared the field with UP Softball team (good thing they’re gracious enough to let us use the field with them!).

we started around 8am with warm up, jogging, and some stretching. then passing drills followed. simple “hands” first — just passing the ball from player to player, no fancy passing at all. then we did the “chooky”!!! really hilarious coz we’ve got no sense of direction at all and i really am an epic fail with switching & passing. why am i so bad with directions? haha! then some defense-offense drills and line throw outs then touch rugby after. its more of a “learning” sesh coz this time, we can actually learn and grasp everything. the chill & relax environment while doing the drills makes it a more conducive rugby sesh where you can learn as much as you can, you can ask around without feeling shy or awkward. its nothing like the rugby trainings we’ve had previously (where you can literally drop dead because it was intense)  but we’ve definitely learned a lot from it.

i’ve got to say a huge THANKS to my friend Junnel. yesterday’s sesh was her idea and it was really really fun! its a breath of fresh air actually coz for the first time, we felt chill & relax while training & because of that we learned a lot from it. sometimes its helpful when during training, your back is not against the wall so to speak. you can think clearly and do the drills easily coz nobody’s giving pressure and nobody’s shouting at you all the time.

so before we called it a day yesterday, we managed to get this photo:

aren’t we all cute here!? hehehe.. good job everyone for a successful private rugby sesh yesterday! and got to say that because of you, my dream to be a referee came true! hahahaha!! =)))))))) true story: they appointed me to be the ref for the touch rugby yesterday! and i think i aced it! =)))))

hopefully we can squeeze in one private rugby sesh every week! its really fun!

till the next sesh and keep on movin’ your feet guys!

Asian Rugby Junior Division 2 Championships in the Philippines!

Asian Rugby Junior Division 2 Championships next week! And Philippines is hosting the event! Be there and catch the Rugby action on Dec 14 and 17, 3pm at Rizal Memorial Stadium! ADMISSION IS FREE!

yes my friends, ITS TOTALLY, NO STRINGS ATTACHED FREE! no lines to go & beat so you can get tickets, no spending huge amount of money whatsoever. all you need to do is head down to Rizal Stadium on Dec 14 and 17 and join the fun! so go & spread the word guys! give our Junior Volcanoes love! oooohhhyeaah!

RESPECT. DISCIPLINE. PINOY PRIDE.

Modern day heroes with BIG HEART & GOOD CHARACTER — Philippine Rugby Team Volcanoes

i always thought that the “heart” makes an athlete great but i was wrong.. it takes the combination of good character & heart that make great athletes. you may have the heart to train hard, compete and build an iron-strong will to win but without a good character to go with that heart of yours, it’ll be nothing. a good character that makes you want to go out there, share what you know about your sports, and give back to the community — you’re doin’ it free of charge and all because you want to do it & you care. not because you can earn money from it.

for a sports junkie & fan like me, the quest to find the true & certified sports heroes is a never-ending journey. in the advent of sports here in the Philippines, a lot of teams, clubs, groups are sprouting out like wild shrubs and mushrooms. you can easily go “ga-ga” on one of them and fall trap to whatever charms they may have without even asking yourself if you should be following & supporting them or are they even worth your effort and time or are they really the heroes we can look up to as role models??? I’ve been on that loop for a long time now and for years, I’ve been looking for that true sports heroes. Admittedly, i easily get charmed by painstakingly good looks but relationship would turn sour the moment i see right through them.

so what really makes a great athlete?

a great athlete is someone with a “BIG HEART” that can form an iron will to train, play, & win. someone who believes in winning even before it happens. someone who can pull through despite the problems s/he faces. it is someone who’ll push forward to achieve his dreams & goals & will not just let go of it, never allow it to just fall apart. S/he is someone who uses all those defeats to propel him towards his goal.

a great athlete is a man of “GOOD CHARACTER.” Someone who unselfishly shares his talents & skills. You can see the willingness to teach and share what he does best without expecting anything in return and finds happiness and solace when teaching/sharing. It is someone who genuinely shows love, appreciation & care for his supporters no matter how little (in numbers) of them there is. someone who stays humble & grounded despite being in the midst of limelight & fame. most importantly, s/he is someone who doesn’t see his sport as a “million-dollar” career where he can earn a lot of money. he plays because it is what he really wants to do and that is where his mind, soul, & heart lies.

my constant quest for that great sports heroes brought me to Rugby. you wouldn’t really think that the sports rugby is crafted for us Pinoys. its a rough & very physical sport where players are mostly bulked up, brawny, & built to be crushing machines. Pinoys are average-built, most are just of average height of 5 feet, lanky and doesn’t have enough muscle mass to be a rugby player but to everyone’s surprise, Pinoys woke up one day seein’ for the first time in Guadalupe area, the official Rugby players of the country — the Philippine Volcanoes.

beyond those good looks & almost god-like bodies are men with high-caliber skills when it comes to playing Rugby. As one writer puts it, they’re the real deal athletically as they have put the map of Philippines in Asian Rugby. Just two weeks ago and before my legendary encounter with the team, they were preparing for the Shanghai 7′s. it is the preliminary for the prestigious world wide tournament, Hong Kong 7′s.  Sadly, the team didn’t make the cut. They finished in 7th place, a step behind the goal of finishing 6th to qualify for the Hong Kong 7′s. Looking beyond this big disappointment, Philippine Volcanoes have proven a lot. They defeated the reigning champions in Asia, South Korea, with a score of 19-14. Then went on demolishing Rugby teams from UAE (24-7) and Thailand (22-0). Unfortunately, they conceded to better teams Kazakhastan (12-5) and power house China (24-10) which finally earning them the 7th spot on the tournament. Having beaten South Korea & their resounding victory on their last game versus Thailand (where they didn’t even allow the team to score even just a single try), they’re sending a clear message across all continents in Asia: Philippine Rugby Team VOLCANOES means business and in full throttle to win as many games as they can and eventually, getting the chance to play in the Rugby World Cup.

its not only their superb Rugby skills  that earned my respect for this team, it is their undoubtedly humble & down-to-earth character & personality that won my heart. Turns out that these lads are far from the way they were presented in the ginormous Bench billboards across Guadalupe (which was taken down to give way to the request of the city mayors). On the billboards (if you happen to see them), they were projected as “Alpha male jocks” who seems to be full of themselves and cares nothing more than the fame and attention they get from playing the game and starring on that billboard. Hell yeah. i’m so wrong this time! i was surprised to meet the nicest, well-mannered & grounded bunch of gentlemen last August 23.

You really can’t judge a book based on its cover…  really… i was actually thinking of meeting players with “diva-like” attitude during the meet & greet but surprise! surprise! the diva wasn’t there! they came on time, joined us for merienda and immediately mingled with everyone in the room. it felt like meeting an old friend to do some catchin’ up, telling stories to each other and all. you can see that they’re genuinely interested with you as you are to them. they’re warm & very accomodating, trying to answer each and every question thrown at them even if they’ve answered it already a gazillion times. the boys are witty & full of humor as they made fun of each other & teasing their newly appointed team captain Jake Letts that instead of being big & brawny, he has small frame much like that of an average Filipina!

All of them have one pure Filipino parent making them eligible to play and represent the Philippines in the Rugby arena. And they endearingly call each other as “brothers from another mother” — a proof that their brotherhood as a team & as friends is strong as ever.

Despite looking more foreign than Pinoy, you’ll see in them the “never-say-die” attitude of Pinoys. The one that never breaks to pressure but bends & sways like a bamboo in life’s challenges. you can see a strong sense of nationalism too among them. Choosing to represent the Philippines over countries where they came from (even with the money & fame they can get from there) says a lot about them being proud to be called Filipinos. To represent a country plagued with unnerving politics (even in sports), corruption, and lack of proper government support is one daunting task. All of them have regular day jobs, even accepting extras so that they’d be able to save funds and use it to fly out here and compete under our flag.  They save up leave time from work so they’d be able to train with the team and join as many tournaments as they can.  it really takes a true Pinoy to endure sacrifices as many as that and that just makes me truly proud of them! it really doesn’t matter if you get nothing , not even a single cent from the government & even if your kababayans don’t take notice of your achievements.. the team loves the sport, takes pride of being Filipinos & representing the country, so they just brush it all off, put a brave face on and ready to take any opponents in a heart beat. =)

just when i was on the verge of giving up on finding that true sports hero, i met these lads. it’s funny how fate works that when it already seems impossible to find them, here are the Volcanoes. They proved that their sports are not just a “million-dollar” career. they proved that they are not just better athletes playing their best in every competition but they’re also better person just doing their best to share their talent & give back to a community almost alien to them since they didn’t grew up here. they are all out there doing greater things other than just moonlighting events & endorsements or aiming to get the world cup. they went an extra mile and went beyond what is expected of them. When everybody’s expecting you to be a better athlete, show them that you’re not just an athlete excelling in your chosen sport; you are a better person, able to do greater things not just for yourself or the team, most importantly for your kababayans and your country, making a difference and changing lives — and they did just that. =)

now i think that the quest is over.. i finally found the true sports heroes of my day..  and its been an honor meeting them & i’m even more proud that i’m training with them. its something i’ll bring with me, & something to talk about to my kids & grand kids.. something i’ll bring with me till the day i die.. =)

Philippine Volcanoes, proud & true Pinoys! the role models we’re all lookin’ for.. =)

Philippines finest! Meet our very own Rugby team, Philippine Volcanoes! =)

until now, I’m clueless why I’ve been so blessed this past months. I never expected that my love for football will take me to places I’ve never been to, meet people that I never imagined I’ll be able to meet or talk to even if I live for hundred plus years. And for that, I’ll always be thankful to the Man upstairs and always be in debt with the sport football.. =)

I was able to meet Team Azkals, their coaches and Sir Dan Palami of course since I started playing soccer but I was even more blessed when I started training for Rugby!

Rugby opened a lot of doors for me — met a lot of people/friends on training, trained by one of the best coaches in town (hello Coach Aloh! ), was able to trim down 20lbs with all that running in Rugby (yes, I’m 20lbs lighter because of that!).. what else? I was able to discover and let out the inner “Amazona” in me! haha! yes, definitely! I’m slow when running — like a slow poke, I tell yah and I don’t have any sense of balance but I always knew that I have this brute strength inside me.! I just lack the opportunity to show it but yeah its there! haha! And Rugby, bein’ a full contact sports, players use strength/power so I was able to utilize that brute strength and put it into good use!

AND THE BEST PART OF IT ALL — I was able to meet our very own Philippine Rugby Team Volcanoes! woot-woot! yep, along with two of my friends, met the team & their coach Matt Cullen! I didn’t get to see all, just the 12 of them but it was a blast! It’s not just a meet up, I get to dine & eat merienda with the team, I was able to chat with all 12 of them, have our picture taken and I get to take home a jersey from the team! really, really cool! :>

it all started with joining Philippine Rugby Football Union’s Rugby 101 blogging contest (now, if you guys have been following my blog, you can still see my entry). I never meant to join because the entry I passed was already made way before PRFU announced their promo/contest, though I had to edit it coz it was originally part of a very long entry.  And since it was already made, I thought, “well why not send this to PRFU. Let’s give it a shot.” But I sure am not hoping to win coz I know there are a lot of “better” bloggers over me who wanted to meet the Philippine Volcanoes and I really don’t stand a chance — my blogs are not meant for competitions/contests (still amateur, you know), it’s just an online journal containing the ramblings of the demented mind of a writer wannabe.

the next thing I knew, I found myself clicking the “send” button of my office mail! True story: I had to duck under my table and was convinced to just hide there for the rest of eternity as my email was processing the request to send the entry to PRFU. Then I later said to myself, that entry won’t make that far so why stress myself out. It may even not get the attention of PRFU and the team.

Days went by and here comes August 19, announcement day for the winners of the blogging contest. I was out of the office and don’t have any internet access until after the weekend was over. Friday, August 19, I didn’t go online to check. Saturday & Sunday, I was out in training and usually, I just sleep after a tough day at the pitch so two days went by without internet connection then come monday morning at the office, as I was browsing tons of my email about work, I stumbled with PRFU’s email informing me that I won in their contest! I think I went catatonic for a few hours then I realized I need to revert back to the email. I think I spent an hour (at least) before I was able to complete and send my reply. I was just in shock. It was surreal and the thought of meeting the team won’t just sink in! As in serious! It felt like I was dreaming! haha! But when PRFU called me, yeah that simply brought me back to earth and confirmed that I was not dreaming after all!

The meet & greet was scheduled the next day, Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at Oakwood Center, ADB Avenue, Ortigas. Yes, I have work but I wouldn’t pass up the chance to meet the team so I filed a leave of absence so I’d be able to go out and meet them. =) it’s a once in a lifetime experience so even if I’m neck-deep with work, I ditched everything and went there!

This is it! *hingang malalim* LEZ GO!!! )

I’m nervous as a rabbit about to be thrown to a pit full of lions! haha! eh sorry naman! I went into panic mode the moment I saw the team entering the dining hall! you see, I have this unexplainable condition of having the hardest time talking to the male species! serious! Growing up in a household full of women and growing up without my dad, I’m totally clueless on know how to react when I’m surrounded by guys, well in this case they’re not just guys but totally gorgeous men so the moment they said “hi” to me, I got tongue-tied! haha! I’d say that the best decision I ever made that day was to take two of my chika friends with me and let them do all the talking coz as expected, my mouth was kept tightly shut during the event! I talk to them when they ask me about something but that’s about it. I was also way too distracted by their almost god-like appearance. When I say god-like, I mean they all look like Greek gods who went down to earth from Mt. Olympus, seriously.The word beautiful was an understatement when describing how this men look like (I know right, I’m now officially the envy of all the girls in the world! haha!).

Greek gods from Mt. Olympus! ay sorry mali, my bad! haha! Meet our Philippine Rugby Team Volcanoes! =)

and because i was way too shy to talk, I just took photos that day! Volcanoes, even after training early in the morning was all smiles in front of us! they’re just adorable.. =’) *sigh*

the meet and greet was truly a treat coz we got the chance to talk to them personally. the team was divided to 6 groups with 2 players together. they went around the the tables for the 10-minute interview. I just wished my chika friends asked a little bit more personal questions other than how the game is played, the Haka, Shanghai 7′s. Sayang! We didn’t get to ask who’s taken and who’s not, what’s their fave food, color, or something, or if they’ll date a fan or someone who’s not into Rugby.. alam nyo yun, I was actually hoping that the conversation will be just chill and relaxed, laid-back but my chika friends opted for the more serious questions! haha! so there.  I’d bet all my fingers that should my friends asked those personal questions and I’ll put it in here, this blogging site will crash due to myriads of girls trying to access the blog! =P

but i have to say that the team was very accomodating. they’ve been asked same questions over and over but still they graciously answer everything. another thing that I really like about them is that they’re not a snob (even on twitter or other SNS sites where you can find them), yung bang parang feeling sikat coz they’re trying their best to talk to us, small talk for lack of better word, they’re even asking questions about us, what we do for a living, our hobbies, the sports we play, someone even asked about the food we love to eat. it’s not something you’ll expect to see or hear from people with celebrity-like statuses. People in limelight are usually snobs *cough, cough, i know some people* haha! but yeah its true. and for that I give them 200% pogi points! I really think that celebs, athletes, public figures should be gracious enough to grant a photo opt or a small chat/talk with their fans coz they owe their popularity to the people who constantly follow & support them. they’re public figures for Christ sake! yun lang.. just saying.. two of the most accommodating and gracious teams I met was the Philippine Dragon Boat Team Pinoy Dragon Warriors & our Philippine Rugby Team Volcanoes! that’s the truth! and I admire and love them for that! =)

(ok, enough with commercials, haha!) funny that the interview felt like a speed dating of sorts.. hehe..

Searchee number 1, oopppss sorry!!! haha! I mean 1st batch of the interview was with Kenneth Stern & John Odulio!

–Kenny was the “madaldal” one.. I mean he was the one doing all the talking in this interview while John was a bit quiet, just giving out some points & opinions when asked. But both are charmers! our interviewers were dazzled! even the photographer if I may add! haha! Oh and if I heard it right (and if my memory serves me right) John is a registered nurse.

and here’s more of these two;

and the interviewers were charmed! i just love the look on them! classic!

Our second batch of interview was with Andrew Wolff and Rupert Zappia! =)

True Story (I guess.. But on a second thought, coming from Andrew who loves to make fun of his teammates.. errrr.. I just don’t know what to believe!): Guess why Rupert was all red on the face that day? According to Andrew, he went out to train on a hot sunny morning in the PHL and he forgot to put on his sunblock ergo, Mr. Sun left him red-faced!

– Both Andrew and Rupert was makwento and talkative but hands down to Andrew for being so outspoken. Among the 12 of them (the team captain included), he’s the only team member who spoke of how little the government and most of their kababayans took notice of their achievements. Despite being on top of their game, beating most of the best Rugby teams here in Asia and after demolishing Malaysia (with score 86-20) last June 2011 therefore establishing themselves as serious and tough contender for Asian top 5 next year, they get no support from the government. Most of their expenses when they compete or play, they had to get it from their own pockets. This really breaks me heart and I truly admire them, they just love to play the game & they take pride of representing the Philippines in any competition that they’re so ready to make sacrifices, even if it means taking a leave from their work and funding their trips just to compete.

more of these two (apologies, picture’s too dark, don’t want to use the flash coz we’re like in a middle of a conversation);

Some of you might be familiar with Andrew Wolff. He had his share of limelight as a local artist here in the Philippines, appearing on various local TV shows & movies. =)  See, our players are not just superb Rugby players! Jack of all trades!

And for the 3rd batch of the interview, we have Oliver Saunders & Chris Hitch! (thank God I can still remember all the names! haha! sometimes i’m so bad with names, I couldn’t remember everything!)

– What else can I say, both are talkative. I think Chris Hitch was the one who asked us with questions rather than us asking questions about them! :> tall, dark, and handsome types that you just love to take home to your parents and say “mom, pop, I’m marrying this guy!” yeah for real.. agree ladies? and i hear a yeah… haha!

more of these two tall, dark, and totally handsome men;

i think its all because of the sun.. blame it on the sun but I’m lovin’ the color! so Pinoy!

our fourth batch of interview was with Mark Chatting & Chris Everingham!

– Mark reminds me so much of Yannick Tuason of Team Azkals I guess because of the hair & the smile, the smile that can melt a thousand hearts! haha! and the other Chris, Chris Everingham that is, was the most charming of the bunch! he’s the guy that you can never say “no” to. You’ll probably do whatever he ask you to do.. as in serious.. maybe it has something to do with those eyes or maybe the way he talks to people — may kasamang lambing! — now if you guys can understand my tagalog! hehe.. And Chris was the one asking the three of us what we’ll do after the meet & greet but before we can even answer, the peeps from PEP.ph asked for a photo opt with him.. hay sayang! would love to join them after their game that day! =P

more of these two charming lads here;

their version of Korean pose with Leslie & Zsazsa! cute!

i’m diggin’ the hair! Mark’s “bagong gising” look! haha!

The next batch was my favorite! Here we’re with the new Team Captain Jake Letts & Jon Morales! =)

– If there’s one guy I’m allowed to take home to my parents that day, it’ll be Jake! haha! Joke! ok, ok! I’m caught red-handed! got this huge crush over him! for the record, I’m harmless. I usually admire from afar, I’m not the crazy stalker type! haha! Surprised too that his mother hails from Bicol, same with me, grand mum & mom is from Bicol too, Albay. and both of us never been to Bicol (We can tour the province, together, if you like! haha! joke!). And with Jake was Jon, that tall, dark, and handsome guy who, despite nursing a bruised lip (got it from their game versus Hong Kong University), still look gorgeous! You just got to love battle scars! And I love Jon for adding us on facebook! 100% pogi points and hugs to you Jon! =)

and last but not the least, the 6th batch of interview was with Harry Morris and Justin Coveney! =)

– This perhaps was the fave batch of my good friend Zsazsa! She’s crushing over our lawyer here (hello there Justin)! haha! If Chris Everingham was the most charming among the bunch, Justin here was the most talkative! Sobrang daldal, promise! It started during our merienda. Justin kept asking a lot of questions about us, what we do, any sports we play, our favorite stuff and the weirdest part was he’s asking about the Azkals! Nakakaloka sa dami ng tanong! And Harry was equally madaldal too! haha! He told us about his upcoming travel show which will feature various travel destinations! Best of luck to you Harry! Hope this travel show of yours will push through! =)

I enjoyed everything that day.. the food, the warm welcome, the 10-minute chit-chat with the team but this takes home the cake: I GOT ONE BIG HUG FROM THE TEAM! ALL 12 OF THEM!

And here’s the only picture of the group hug that i can never forget even if i live a hundred years.. or die then get reincarnated! )

and this officially makes me THE LUCKIEST GIRL ALIVE TODAY! )

thanks guys! if i could just hug all of you back, i would although i think you guys probably won’t fit in my arms! :>

and before i wrap this blog up, let me first introduce you to… Coach Matt Cullen!

True Story: On one of the group pics of the team, Zsazsa shouted “Let’s see a wacky pose!” and all of the players said “Huh? What?” the only guy who knew what a wacky pose is was Coach Matt! He came in, joined his team and said “Ok guys let’s do wacky pose!” On field, Coach Matt was totally a different person, he’s not the cool guy, all smiles and all nice with each and everyone. He’s on his beast mode whenever there’s training, shouting at the top of his lungs and commanding the team with a voice that will scare the shit out of you! serious! On my first training day at Rugby 101, he was there. Just his mere presence it’ll scare you to death! then wait till he shouts. But hands down to him, all the success of the team says a lot about his coaching — its effective and brings success to the team. =)

Got to say a huge thanks to PRFU for making all of this possible! this is something that I’ll never forget and something to tell my grand kids that one day, I was able to meet the most amazing Rugby team of my time. And to the Philippine Volcanoes, I want to thank you guys for such a warm welcome! You’ve been so gracious and accommodating that day. I just wish we had more time talking — although I might not speak at all but I did enjoy everything. I hope to see you again one day, maybe in one of your games this December and please do remember me when I approach you guys and ask for a photo opt or an autograph. =)

oh and hands down to you guys (saludo po talaga ako sa inyo)! i admire your love and passion for the sport and for representing the Philippines. True Pinoys through & through! I always believed that you don’t have to be born & raised here in the Philippines for you to be called and considered a Filipino. Being a Filipino is not just by blood, it is but most importantly by heart… and you guys is the living proof of that! keep it up! laban lang! we’re 100% behind you guys, rallying with you in every game & supporting you all the way!

Again, from the deepest recesses of my heart, MARAMING MARAMING SALAMAT PO! Don’t be strangers alright! And I’ll see you guys in your games! you can definitely count on me, shouting at the top of my lungs & cheering for you guys to win! Go Volcanoes! =)

Let’s toughen it up for RUGBY 101! :D

If you can sum up the words FUN and TOUGH in just one, it’ll be RUGBY!!! =)

Yes my friends, you might be surprised to hear a girl trying to play the sport Rugby. I may be a girl but I’m not a softie like everyone else so when I heard that the Philippine Rugby Football Union is offering a Rugby 101 course for free, I grabbed the opportunity with no questions asked!

My mom was diagnosed with a heart problem last May 2009 and that served as a wake up call for me to start living healthy. So I ditched rice, sweets, fatty foods, & junk food and started my quest towards healthy lifestyle. I went on looking for a sport to do and decided to run. Then I decided to take it up a notch and got myself drafted to my hometown’s local football team, Pasig United F.C., been playing for them 2 months now & was lucky enough to see some footy action on a recently held Football Tournament, Laurel Cup 2011.  Trying to move around as much as I can before I turn 30, the once-a-week soccer training was not enough to quench my thirst for crunch time on the pitch. I wanted more. I want to just go out there in the field and play so I went on looking for another sport and stumbled upon Rugby.

So, together with some of my mates from Pasig United F.C. Women’s, we booked ourselves for our first training sesh last July 06, 2011. Before training, I tried to learn as much as I can about Rugby, the positions, the rules of the game, the Haka (All Blacks for the win!), and everything about it but no one prepared us for that one tough night last July 06!  Our first Rugby training sesh was facilitated by Sir Jovic & Sir Gabe. The warm up was okay but then we went into doin’ the drills and it was INTENSE! At first I thought that Rugby, bein’ classified under football too was just the same with soccer only this time you’re playing with your hands. But I had it all wrong, man, all wrong! Rugby is the exact opposite of soccer! You have everything backwards. And doin’ all the foot drills, I was running around the pitch like a headless chicken, trying to concentrate not to hit the other players and at the same time do what the coaches was tellin’ me to do. Like in Soccer, running is essential so running and foot drills tops the list when training for Rugby. I enjoyed all the foot drills but it was tough. I was forced to run 200% more than my usual run in soccer. I play defense full back for soccer so most of the time I’m just hovering around near the goal post covering the goalie, not running much on the field. I could just wait for the forwards to come to me with the ball on their feet & will just have to clear the ball given the opportunity. But in Rugby, you’re always on your toes as all of the players in the team gets to have a chance to score — oh and if Soccer calls the points as goals, in Rugby, they call it a “try,” just want to share that little info with you guys. After the foot & running drills, we went to passing. Its tough too but I’d say its a great core & upper body work out coz I had to use all my core & arm muscles to catch & throw the ball properly. The biggest difference perhaps with soccer and Rugby is that the latter is a full contact sport, expect to get bumped or bruised when playing Rugby. You have to go touch opponents and try to stop them from scoring a try.

You can tell that the coaches were dead serious with the training, even with newbies and that was something I really admire (thumbs up to that!). For every bad call that we make because we didn’t pay attention or listened to the coaches equates to 1 set of 10 man push ups! But that I think is essential so that players will have discipline and will always listen to what the coach is saying. Then everything commenced into a SCRUMMAGE! yep, you got it right! if soccer calls the matches scrimmage, for Rugby its scrummage. We’re divided into two groups composed of 15 people, after brief instruction from the coach, we do head-on collision of a Rugby game! real intense!

The second training sesh was more intense than the first one since t’was Coach Aloh Abono who facilitated the session. He’s one hell of a tough guy, I tell yah! If the first training sesh I was pushed to run more than 200% of what I was used to in Soccer, now I was forced to step it up a notch to 300% as I heard Coach Aloh talking to me & to those left out in the formation: “Ayaw nyo bilisan?! Sige dadagdagan ko pa yan!” It was crazy but a good crazy coz all that running paid off. I used to finish a 5k marathon in an hour and 15 minutes but after all those running, I can complete a 5k in 40minutes! ) and 2nd sesh turned out to be great as we learned how to do the tackle and all those tackle sessions in Rugby toughened me up as a defense for soccer! I can go head-to-head with a guy, not worrying about getting me self thrown out of the pitch. Oh and not to mention that I got my 1st 5 seconds of TV fame in Rugby as the crew of GMA 7 filmed our training for an episode of one of their sunday morning show! Really cool! =)

I’ve been to 4 sessions already and immensely proud that I was able to get out on every training sesh alive and in one piece! But seriously, I love the discipline of Rugby and I totally dig the challenges the sport has to offer. It pushes you to do good, to go out of your comfort zone, makes you constantly push yourself beyond your limits then you feel rewarded every after training, feeling proud that you did all those drills & you were able to play the rough but fun sport of Rugby! =)

oh and after a tough training sesh of Rugby, me & my mates were rewarded with.. dundundahhhh…

we get to meet & have a photo opt with one of the Philippine Volcanoes , Andrew Wolff! He’s so nice and very accomodating and so adorable too! right ladies??? great reward after a hard day’s work on the pitch!

All of us while staring at Andrew Wolff, I mean resting after the intense Rugby training at Ultra! )

goofing around after training! *on the sides: waiting for an opportunity to talk to you know who.. hehehe*

all tired but still lookin’ pretty after training! woot-woot!

me (in orange shirt & white socks) with the ladies.. i could just lounge here forever then sleep! so tired after training..

man, serious! PUFC girls are tough! to the core! as in!  We were able to finish the intense Rugby training in one piece! haha! proud of you ladies! good job!

On behalf of my team Pasig United F.C., we’d like to thank our Rugby coaches Sir Jovic, Sir Gabe, & Coach Aloh, maraming maraming salamat po for teaching us Rugby! Got to thank you guys for the patience and tons of encouragement while teaching a bunch of “super makukulit” ladies! And big thanks to PRFU for comin’ up with a great program such as this! mabuhay po kayo! =) because of you guys, we’ve got this new found respect for the sports Rugby, yes it is tough but I’d say you’ll come out every training a better person.

till the next training sesh guys! =)