Rugby: Volcanoes thankful for support, "born ready for the top 5"

With their recent win, the Philippine Volcanoes have nothing but gratitude for fans who have expressed their support.   "I'd like to thank our supporters who've really been so faithful. I thank the public, the sponsors, and I thank the boys. They did such a great effort out there," said Volcanoes head coach Expo Mejia.   "Without the support, we wouldn’t be here. To all the original guys, especially the ex-pats that started the rugby over here in Manila, we can't thank them enough. It's amazing. Two years ago we were ranked fourth in Division 2 and now we've just won Division 1, so [we’re in the] top 5 next year. I can't believe it," added team captain Michael Letts.   They've come a long way   The leap to the top division is a dream come true for the players, who were playing in the bottom division just three years ago.   "The Philippines will now be playing in the biggest rugby tournament in Asia. We've come up from playing against teams like Brunei, playing against teams like Pakistan, and now we're playing with the big boys. This is the start of something big," said Justin Coveney.   Nicknamed "The Flying Jeepney," Coveney drove in the final try that gave the Philippines enough breathing room to claim the Asian 5 Nations Division 1 crown, Saturday at the Rizal Stadium, against Sri Lanka.   "We were born ready for the top 5. We made a pact back in 2008 and that pact has been accomplished now," added Coveney.   With their recent success comes hope that the Volcanoes will now get not just moral, but important financial support.   "I think with this win, we'll gain a lot of support especially from sponsors. It will make it an awful lot easier as well as with the money,” said Letts.   “We come over here on our own backs and a lot of the guys work full time. Some guys are lucky enough to pick up professional contracts. We're trying to make Philippine rugby a lot stronger now that we're in top 5."   At least six of the Volcanoes are playing professionally for Japanese rugby teams, with Patrice Olivier joining them soon as he finalizes his deal. But for the rest of the team, they have to go back to their respective jobs elsewhere as they await the next opportunity to play for the Philippines later this year.   Filipino and proud   The members of the team hope that rugby is definitely here to stay, as they encourage more Filipinos to watch the games and learn the sport.   "I hope people would start watching more coz it's for them. We come here, we put on these jerseys, the Philippine flags on us. We are Filipino. We're proud of it. And we come here to play for them," shared Jaime Zobel Urquijo.   For now though, the Volcanoes are taking their tour abroad once more.   "We're going on a development tour to Bahrain later in the year and then we'll start our campaign again early next year. We play Japan (14), Kazakhstan (30), South Korea (31), United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong (26)," disclosed Coach Mejia.   But Filipino fans will get to see their home team in action in 2013 as the Volcanoes get to play home games against two from the above list, with seedings determining who exactly those opponents will be. - AMD , GMA News