Rugby: Volcanoes off to India for Mumbai 7s

The Philippine men's national rugby team, also known as the Volcanoes, will depart for India this Thursday, to participate in the Mumbai 7s, the third round of the 2013 Asian 7s series, slated for Saturday and Sunday.

The results of the Asian 7s series dictate which of the top-12 countries in Asia get invites to the 2014 IRB Hong Kong 7s, and also ranks them in anticipation of the 2014 Asian Games, the qualifier for the 2016 Olympics.

The Volcanoes recently placed first in the Plate Division of the Thailand 7s back in September, to improve to fifth place in the Asian 7s series.

Roster-wise, the Volcanoes get back Andrew Wolff and Mark Chatting, but lose captain Jake Letts due to a hamstring strain for this tourney.

"Both Andrew Wolff and Mark Chatting have been part of the Volcanoes 7s program since their Silver Medal victory at the 2007 South East Asian Games, and they enjoy the challenges of playing at the Asian Championships and will come in fresh and ready to fire," Coach Matt Cullen said.

The Philippines is seeded in Pool A along with Japan and Chinese Taipei.

One of the main goals for the Volcanoes, who have been ranked third in Asia in both 2011 and 2012, is to win a medal for the Philippines at the Asian Games. - AMD, GMA News