Volcanoes aim for stint in ARC’s Premier Div.

The Philippine Volcanoes intend to use their triumph at the Asia Rugby Championship Division 1 tournament as inspiration to scale greater heights, including a stint in the ARC’s Premier Division.

The Volcanoes swept Singapore in a two-game series for the Division 1 plum, 32-24 and 38-12, to return to the top after a six-year drought to the delight of home fans at Southern Plains in Laguna.

“Our goal is to keep building on this win,” said Phl captain Steve Pagtalunan Howorth, looking ahead to more challenges in 2019. “Come next year, reclaim the Division 1 trophy in a fourteam round-robin tournament.”

Should they keep on winning in Division 1, the Filipino ruggers will get a crack at the top-tier where the powerhouse countries of Hong Kong, Korea and 2019 World Cup host Japan are competing.

Against higher-ranked Singapore, the Volcanoes let loose a promising debutant in Robert Luceno Fogerty, the youngest member of the Phl team whose near perfect kicking performance had him convert four penalties and make three conversions in the clincher.

More than his individual feat, though, Fogerty said it was the Volcanoes’ defense and physicality in the homestretch that keyed the success of the side backed by Seapac Philippines and MVP Sports Foundation.

“We talked a lot about puso (heart). I think you saw in the last 20 minutes of the game, that we just never gave up and kept applying pressure” Fogerty said.