Rugby: Volcanoes now 55th in the world, leap past Singapore, Chinese Taipei

The Philippines leapt seven spots in the latest edition of the International Rugby Board World Rankings, going from 62 to 55, as a result of their dominant performance in the Asian 5 Nations Division 1 tournament.   The IRB released updated rankings Monday evening.   Just over a week ago, the Philippines received its first provisional ranking of 72nd, due to its status as one of the newly-established rugby unions in the world.   The country jumped 10 places after defeating then higher-ranked Singapore 37-20 in the Volcanoes’ opening game at the Asian 5 Nations Division 1 tournament. Then last Wednesday, the team again defeated another higher-ranked squad in Chinese Taipei, 34-12.    The two consecutive victories led to a winner-take-all match against Sri Lanka, the top-seeded and highest-ranking team in the tournament. Last Saturday, the Volcanoes dispatched their foes in dramatic fashion, 28-18.   "I think it's indicative of the tournament. Where the Philippines jumped to is about right. That now reflects Division 1 and Division 2, so Philippines jumped over teams like Malaysia and China so it's accurate.   “It's great to see the results and see all the winning teams moving up.  I think it was fair…because obviously, Sri Lanka was higher last season in the top 5," said Sean Moore of Elite Step Asia, the public relations company handling the tournament.   The new rankings did not favor any other team in the tournament as Sri Lanka dropped to 45th from its old place at 43rd. Chinese Taipei fell one spot to 59th after mixed results, losing to the Philippines and salvaging a win against Singapore in the final match of the tournament. Singapore was hit hardest in the new the rankings, dropping 11 spots down to 67th. - AMD, GMA News