6 foreign teams to vie in 6th Int’l Cebu 10’s

Six teams from abroad will be competing against the Cebu Dragons rugby team in the 6th Annual International Cebu 10’s Rugby Festival this Saturday at the Cebu International School.

Organizer Damian Alison said the teams set to join are those from Sweden, China, Singapore, Papua New Guinea, Myanmar and the Christ Church High School of New Zealand.

“This is going to be a tough battle because this is the first time that we managed to draw in six countries to vie in the tournament,” Alison said during the press launch yesterday at the Emerald Isle Irish Pub in Talamban. “We are confident that the Cebu Dragons men and women’s teams will reach the finals and give the visiting teams a good fight.”

Also present during the gathering were Cebu Lady Dragons frontliner Aiumi Ono, coaches Jerry Branzuela and Phil Mounsey and Visayas-Mindanao Rugby Football Union chairman Simon Hoyle.

The tournament’s main objective is to unify the rugby clubs in the country by bringing in top caliber teams from other countries to compete over them in a friendly manner.

According to Branzuela, the Cebu Dragons men’s team will face Christ Church High School of New Zealand and the Trelleborg Pingvins of Sweden.

“We have won several national championship titles and competed and became strong contenders in several international tournaments. That is why we are prepared and confident that we can perform very well this Saturday,” Branzuela said.

A total of 14 teams will be competing in the tournament. Aside from the six foreign teams, there will also be teams coming from different parts of the country.

HELP FOR TYPHOON VICTIMS

According to Hoyle each team has pledged to donate relief goods to the typhoon victims in the Visayas.

They will also be putting up a tent in the venue for those who want to donate goods. The collected funds and relief goods will be handed over to the ABS-CBN Foundation, according to Hoyle. /Correspondent Dale G. Rosal