The Philippine Men’s Volcanoes are Unions Cup champions once again.
Photo: Philippine Men’s Volcanoes/Facebook
The defending champions successfully retained their crown with a commanding 39–18 victory over Malaysia on Saturday at the Nonthaburi Provincial Stadium, completing an unbeaten campaign and securing back-to-back titles after also winning the inaugural Unions Cup in Kaohsiung, Taiwan in 2025.
The road to the championship was nothing short of dominant. The Volcanoes opened their campaign with a resounding 74–0 victory over Laos before overcoming Singapore 33–10 to book a return trip to the final against a determined Malaysian side.
Malaysia struck back after the Philippines took an early lead through James Ryan Halasan, whose powerful finish from close range opened the scoring just five minutes into the match. Ryan Curtis added the conversion for a 7–0 advantage.
The Malaysians responded through penalties and two tries to edge ahead, but the Volcanoes refused to let the match slip away. Curtis calmly converted a penalty to level the scores before Edlen Hernandez crossed over just before halftime after slick hands from Jason Schirmer, sending both teams into the break locked at 15–15.
The second half belonged to the defending champions.
Richard Lewis powered over the try line early after the restart, with Curtis converting to restore the Philippines’ lead. Another penalty from Curtis extended the advantage before Malaysia briefly narrowed the margin to seven points.
With the championship hanging in the balance, the Volcanoes produced their finest rugby of the tournament.
A perfectly weighted kick from captain Kai Stroem was chased down by Vince Young, who quickly moved the ball to Ned Stephenson before Charles Warren finished a brilliant team move in the corner. Curtis added another conversion to give the Philippines breathing room.
Connor Browne then sealed the victory with another powerful try in the closing stages, while Curtis maintained his flawless afternoon from the tee to complete a clinical 39–18 triumph.
Ryan Curtis once again proved instrumental for the Volcanoes, contributing consistently with the boot throughout the tournament and delivering under pressure in the championship match.
The victory highlights another remarkable achievement for the Philippine Men’s Volcanoes, a program built on resilience, commitment and passion despite operating with limited resources. Yet, time and again, the team continues to prove it belongs among Asia’s emerging rugby powers.
The championship also marks another milestone for Philippine rugby, as the Philippines will host the 2027 Unions Cup, bringing the regional tournament to home soil for the first time.
For the Volcanoes, however, the mission remains the same: to continue inspiring the next generation of Filipino rugby players while proudly wearing the country’s colours on the international stage.
The Philippine Men’s Volcanoes are back-to-back Unions Cup champions.
