Youth rugby team from the streets wins national championship
Mar
The Makati Mavericks sealed a historic win after clinching the championship in all four divisions of the Philippine Schools and Youth League (PSYL), the country’s premiere event for youth rugby organized by the Philippine Rugby Football Union (PRFU), held on January 20 and 27.
This is the first time that the Makati Mavericks have taken the top honors across all four divisions in the PSYL.
Its Juniors team beat the much-fancied International School of Manila (ISM) Bearcats Gold to clinch the Varsity Division Championship, sealing one of the most important triumphs in the league.
The Maverick Juniors is composed of a close-knit group of 8- to 20-year-olds – mostly underprivileged youth from Metro Manila – spread across various teams of Under-11s, U13s, U15s, and varsity.
In a proverbial David versus Goliath match, the Maverick Juniors overpowered the tournament favorites in the first half, taking a 19-10 lead into the break. Their opponents fought back bravely and led by a point with seconds remaining on the clock. However, it was to be the Maverick Juniors’ day as Jan Norbin Puig scored a last-gasp try to seal the 24-20 win. Puig also went on to be voted as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Varsity Division.
“I am very proud of our Maverick Juniors for winning the PSYL Varsity Division for the first time along with all three other divisions. This victory speaks volumes for the entire Mavericks program and our focus on youth development, inclusivity, determination and teamwork,” said Rick Santos, co-founder of the Makati Mavericks and the Chairman and CEO of Santos Knight Frank. “We have once again shown a never-say-die attitude on the field, and this proves what a great leveller the game of rugby is.”
“The boys put in an outstanding performance in the face of strong opponents. Despite their busy schedules, studies and challenging transportation logistics, we always find time to train at least twice a week on the field and go through mental and physical fitness exercises together. Their strong preparation and performance over the previous weeks of the league has paid off,” added Lito Ramirez, coach of the Maverick Juniors.
In the three remaining divisions—U11s, U13s, and U15s—the Makati Mavericks’ respective team faced their ISM counterparts during the finals, eventually defeating them with a score of 4-1, 12-7 and 12-7, respectively. Jeffrey Duat, Edwin Ochea, and Clark Vincent Annievas were declared MVPs in their respective divisions as well.
Makati Mavericks is a rugby club composed of men’s and women’s teams along with the victorious juniors. The players and supporters are drawn from grassroots communities in Metro Manila and represent one of the most successful rugby development programs in the Southeast Asian region. Mavericks players have gone on to represent their country in the Southeast Asia Games, Hong Kong 7s, Singapore 7s, and premiere US universities such as Harvard, Dartmouth, University of California Berkeley, Babson, Yale, Oxford, and University of Auckland.
The Makati Mavericks likewise serves as the corporate social responsibility (CSR) and outreach program of Santos Knight Frank, the leading provider of real estate services in the Philippines.