Our Borneo 7s coverage ends here. Volcanoes, you’re amazing.
The last stop for the Philippine national men’s rugby sevens team before they returned to their jobs and regular lives was the Bahay Bata Orphanage in Angeles, Pampanga, where they had a training session with the kids from the Bahay Bata and Tuloy orphanages.
The Philippine Rugby Football Union provides sports training and assistance to these institutions; some of the kids are now members of the national under-20s rugby team.
Obvious question: What about the language barrier? The rugby players have limited Tagalog (though Andrews Farrar and Wolff and David Carman speak it fluently) and the kids have limited English. It didn’t matter at all.
The guys taught the kids the principles of the scrum,
the basics of tackling,
and put them through various drills.
“Heartwarming” doesn’t begin to describe it. The kids were thrilled, and the guys looked so happy. Maybe it was because they were only recently kids themselves, maybe it was knowing that these kids have nothing but are capable of such joy. It just puts everything into perspective.
With that, we close our exclusive coverage of the Borneo Sevens rugby tournament. I want to thank the PRFU, Coach Matt Cullen and physio Damian Raper for allowing me to join the trip and giving me total access, and Jaime Augusto Zobel for making it possible. Most of all I want to thank the Volcanoes for letting a total stranger in their midst and putting her completely at ease.
I’ve covered and travelled with scores of subjects, and I’ve never met a more generous bunch of people—they told their stories unfiltered, they hid nothing, they put it all out there. This kind of trust a writer can only dream of. Although the team did not get the result they were hoping for, they showed the rugby nations that the Philippines is the future of rugby.
Harry, Wolfie, Andrew, Andrew Evro, JC, Noel (and his lovely wife Lucy, my viewing and dining companion), Chris, DC, Mark, Ned, Patrice, Jonny (“I feel kind of dorky, but I actually got your Dune analogy”—He’s read Dune!), I’m proud to know you. As far as I’m concerned you’re 100 percent Filipino.
So I went to Borneo with a bunch of good-looking jocks, and I returned to Manila with twelve friends. It’s very bad journalism if you think about it, and I don’t care.
This exclusive coverage of the Philippine Volcanoes at the Borneo 7s was brought to you by JessicaRulestheUniverse.com and Globe Telecom.
Answers to questions you might be asking, unless you wandered onto this site purely by accident >>>
November 4th, 2010 at 22:18
we are proud of the volcanoes and we thank them for their generosity. the kids are lucky to have them as mentors. maraming salamat din bb. zafra. sa uulitin.
November 4th, 2010 at 22:42
O.M.G., I’m from Angeles! Huhuhu. :'(
November 4th, 2010 at 22:42
Awww (Can somebody pass the Kleenex?) These guys are the sweetest talaga :) Jessica, you’re the best! Galing kaya ng coverage mo…Looking forward to more (hint hint) :) Thank you Globe telecoms– I had the best UNDAS weekend in YEARS because of the Borneo 7s (although we didn’t see 1 game, the blow by blow were enough).
To the entire team,what can I say that I haven’t said yet — mighty, mighty proud of each and everyone of you! I hope (and pray) we get to watch your games live and cheer for all of you (in a very loud, enthusiastic kind of way!). I’m really glad that I got introduced to Rugby, in the most, unorthodox way, I might add hehe. Nevertheless, thank you again for all the efforts and sacrifices you make to play for the Philippines. Don’t mind those who don’t consider you Filipinos — haters gon’ hate, but your supporters celebrate :) Win or lose, it’s the Volcanoes we choose :)>>>Ipapaprint ko to sa tarpaulin :D
Bow! I feel like I’m back in high school :) Where the heck are my pom poms???
November 5th, 2010 at 00:55
My hometown! I’m still stunned with the orphanage thing. Aww. Let’s hope for more games and better results!
November 5th, 2010 at 01:24
Thank you for playing for our country, Philippine Volcanoes! AND Thank you Ms. Jessica Zafra!
November 5th, 2010 at 01:41
“Heartwarming” doesn’t begin to describe it. The kids were thrilled, and the guys looked so happy…” — wish I were there…
November 5th, 2010 at 06:39
Damn, that was hella sweet.
November 5th, 2010 at 08:24
Jessica, you sound kinda sweet here.
We hope they get better results next time. Are they really not joining the Asian games?
November 5th, 2010 at 09:30
Jessica, I wouldn’t have thought a week’s overdose of testosterone would make you write such tender words of gratitude. But let me also thank you for a top-notch coverage of a sport I’m just beginning to understand. Thank you, too, Volcanoes. You make us proud.
November 5th, 2010 at 10:28
what a great post. thank you for sort-of bringing us along with you too – and introducing us to such lovely guys!
November 5th, 2010 at 13:31
siguro naman, mag-eevolve din ang concept natin of journalism. but this was really good. like what the others said, we haven’t watched a single game but we’ve seen more. i love rugby like it’s my first sport. although i remember, i had a game or two of rugby union with my classmates in elementary. we didn’t know the rules or anything. ganun yung feeling. all we knew was we loved it.
November 5th, 2010 at 17:21
Thanks for the coverage Jessica. I’ve always been curious about rugby as a sport. Your posts got me more into it.
November 5th, 2010 at 19:05
Thank you Ms. Jessica for a wonderful coverage. :)
Go Philippine Volcanoes! Your the best team out there! :))
November 7th, 2010 at 02:31
I want them inside MY “bahay-bata.”
November 7th, 2010 at 18:29
#14 ralphwaldo — Puahahaha!
But seriously, these guys are great. I know they’ll be blessed a thousand fold :)