Susan Konstanty

Name: Susan Konstanty
Age: 38
Hometown: Melbourne, Australia
Occupation: Engineer
Position in Rugby: Hooker/coach


At what point did you decide that coaching rugby would be in your future? 

I always thought coaching would be a good way to stay involved in the sport and also to give back to the sport. My first taste of coaching was one season when I was injured I became the assistant coach for my team. I really enjoyed trying to get the best out of the players and being able to pass on the knowledge I had gained over my years of playing.


What brought you to the Philippine Lady Volcanoes? 

Celia Gittus and her request for people to billet the national players during a training camp prior to the Hong Kong sevens 2011. I just didn't think womens Rugby would exist in the Philippines, but here we are and its happening and its growing.


What is you biggest challenge as a coach for the Lady Volcanoes and how do you manage it? 

Trying to learn the words to the National Anthem and I manage it badly. ha ha. Seriously the challenge is in trying to maximise the opportunities for the players to learn and get experience in their positions. We have a some really talented athletes in the squad and one thing holding them back is experience. This year I am trying to get more games for the players and develop a new team here in Manila, so we can at least compete on a regular basis in domestic competition.


What are your goals for the team and how close are you to achieving those goals? 

Winning the Div 2 15s in June on home soil. I would say we are about 3 months away from achieving that.


Any words to live by that you want to impart to the team and to other Filipina rugby players just starting out? 

I am not a big one for motivational quotes. But I will say Rugby is the ultimate team sport. You put your body on the line for your teammates and without combining and working as a team you will always be limited in what you can achieve. Of all the sports I have played I enjoy Rugby the most because of this aspect. It is also a game that you get out what you put into it, so I am a big advocate for hard work. The fitter and stronger you are the more you will enjoy this game. Rugby has many aspects to it. Not only do you have to try to physically overpower your opponent, you also have to have skills and be able to think and react to situations. This is very difficult to maintain at a high level if the team is fatigued and if you haven't put in the time practicing the skills.

Trixie Pacis

Name: Trixie Pacis
Age: 22
Hometown: Vancouver
Occupation: Student
Position in Rugby: Fly half

Why Rugby? What got you started?
I started playing 10 years ago, simply to try a new sport. What keeps me going is love for the game, love for my teammates (both in Canada and the Philippines), and that adrenaline rush when my team scores a try.

What is your biggest accomplishment in Rugby?
Besides the honor of being captain of the first national 15s team at the ARFU tournament in Laos, my biggest accomplishment was playing in the Volcanoes' first-ever tournament in Guangzhou even though I broke my ankle 8 weeks before and the doctors said I wouldn't recover in time.

What one or two things do you currently do in your training that are keys to your success?
Visualization: I always put myself in the right mindset for rugby so I can focus at training. When I go to bed after training, I reflect on my performance and on the night before a match, I imagine realistic game situations and visualize myself succeeding.

Step out of my comfort zone: Our coach allows us to modify drills slightly so that we are always challenging ourselves. When I am successful at something like making a pass, I push myself by making the next pass a slightly longer one so that I am always forcing myself to improve.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?
I'm lucky to have many teammates and coaches who, as role models, inspire me. My sister also plays rugby and motivates me. Most of all, I simply love rugby.

What do you want to say to girls who are just starting out or who are thinking of playing rugby?
For those who are thinking of trying rugby, why not? There is always something to gain from trying new things! For those who are just starting out, persevere. It's a tough sport, but it's the most rewarding one. It teaches us many valuable things (hard work, courage, confidence) and creates irreplaceable friendships since we put our bodies on the line for each other every game. Also, guys respect tough girls

Manila Santos

Name: Manila Santos
Hometown: Quezon City
Occupation: writer, ABS-CBN
Position in Rugby: Prop (7s), Inside Center/8 (15s)

Why Rugby? What got you started?

I've always been involved in some form of semi-contact sports so it was a natural transition for me to go full-contact. I used to be a goalkeeper for all-male football clubs and also involved in flag football so getting hit was nothing new to me. Cassie Umali invited me to try the sport after we met at an Ultimate Frisbee league. After that, coach Matt Cullen invited me to tryout for the first ladies 7s team back in May 2010 after attending two sessions of Rugby 101.

What is your biggest accomplishment in Rugby?

To be part of the Lady Volcanoes that competed and won the B division in our first ARFU 7s tourney in Guangzhou, China in July 2010 was historic for me. Not only did we win four straight games in our division (against Korea, India, Laos and SEA games bronze medalist Malaysia), we also accumulated over 110 pts with ZERO points scored against us. It was unforgettable for me because not only was it my first time ever to play a full game of rugby, i also remember the insane amount of pressure building up after every game because we wanted a total shutout for that tourney! It set the bar for how far we can go in the sport and that's a feeling I bring with me to every tournament we competed in following that.

What one or two things do you currently do in your training that are keys to your success?

I think a big part of being physically effective in rugby lies is in the strength and conditioning training you do in-between practice sessions. Unlike other countries, the Philippines has only started learining about the sport for a little over two years now. Since our bodies aren't as conditioned to take that much impact, we really need to compensate by doing exercises to 'fortify' it.

Another key aspect in preparing for the sport is mental conditioning. In rugby, if you don't commit to a tackle whole-heartedly, the chances of injury will be bigger than if you were fully confident about what you are doing. I usually envision myself making big hits, breaking through tackles and scoring tries because it puts me in a winning mindset that (hopefully) translates during game time.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

It's hard to describe the exact feeling, but during international tournaments, the moment you step out to the pitch wearing a flag on your uniform and singing the national anthem, a big sense of national pride just comes over and I know I just want to do my best for everybody back home and make them proud to be a Filipino.

What do you want to say to girls who are just starting out or who are thinking of playing rugby?

People seem to generalize rugby as a rough sport. This is of course also true, but being tough enough to play it does not mean you have to be the biggest or strongest player out there. It's also about playing with heart and loving the sport. But you really gotta prepare your body for it. I cannot stress this enough. Especially if you want to play it for a long time, you need to work out and train regularly. Even if you have no idea of what its about, just come out with an open mind thats willing to learn and you'll enjoy it for sure