The Philippine National Men’s Rugby Sevens Team defeated Thailand, 41-7, Saturday in their title showdown to snatch the prestigious Asian Rugby Sevens Trophy competition in Doha, Qatar.
The Volcanoes wasted no time and produced a rapid series of tries which gave them a commanding 29 points to 0 lead at halftime against their then unbeaten Thai foes.
The Thais attempted a comeback in the second half but only managed one try and conversion before the Philippines finished them off with a final two tries in ending the match.
The Philippine Captain Daniel Bembo Matthews was awarded Most Valuable Player of the competition, while Timothy Bweheni was proclaimed Man of the Match.
“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” claimed Matthews.
On their way to the finals the Volcanoes defeated 10 other nations, most notable of which was their 42-0 thrashing of Iran in the quarterfinals.
The Volcanoes topped their pool with momentous victories over Nepal and Qatar.
The Philippine team had a shaky start in the semis against Singapore which had an impressive 10-7 start, but rallied to score a 12-10 win following a try by Vincent Amar Young on the final play.