Manila 10s
Encyclopedia
The Manila 10s is an annual mens rugby union tournament featuring a variant of rugby union popular in Southeast Asia called Rugby tens
Rugby tens
Rugby tens, also known as ten-a-side and Xs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of ten players, typically five forwards and five backs. Matches are much shorter, often of two ten-minute halves...

 organized annually by Nomads Sports Club in Parañaque, Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...

. The tournament is held one week before Hong Kong Sevens
Hong Kong Sevens
The Hong Kong Sevens is considered the premier tournament on the IRB Sevens World Series in rugby sevens—a variant of rugby union....

 every year, allowing clubs from around the world to participate in the tournament prior to watching Hong Kong Sevens
Hong Kong Sevens
The Hong Kong Sevens is considered the premier tournament on the IRB Sevens World Series in rugby sevens—a variant of rugby union....

. Manila 10s features 4 divisions of varying skill levels (Cup, Plate, Bowl, and Shield) as well as a veteran's division for teams featuring only players over-35.

While the tournament is technically an amateur tournament the cup division often features ex-professional or internationally capped players such as former Welsh Captain Colin Charvis
Colin Charvis
Colin Charvis is a former captain of the Welsh national rugby union team and also played for the British and Irish lions. A back row forward, Charvis was equally adept as a flanker or as the no...

, former Australian Captain Jeremy Paul
Jeremy Paul
Jeremy Paul is a New Zealand-born Australia rugby union player. He played hooker and prop for the wallabies and the ACT Brumbies.At the end of 2005, Paul was awarded the John Eales Medal, receiving 194 votes from his teammates...

, world cup winner Joel Stransky
Joel Stransky
Joel Theodore Stransky is a former South African rugby union rugby player, most notable for scoring all of South Africa's points, including the famous dramatic winning drop goal, against New Zealand in the 1995 Rugby World Cup final. He played as a fly-half.-Early life:Stransky was born in...

 and former British Lion John Bentley
John Bentley
John Bentley may refer to:* John Edmund Bentley, English rugby international* John Bentley * John Bentley , English dual-code international rugby footballer* John Bentley , British actor...

, featuring as 'guest' players for the tournament. The tournament draws most of the major amateur clubs in Asia such as the Shanghai Hairy Crabs, Seoul Survivors, Tokyo Gaijin, Taipei Baboons
Taipei Baboons
The 'Taipei Baboons' is a Rugby Union team based in Taipei, Taiwan. The team has established itself as a rugby force on both Formosa and internationally, competing in tournaments around southeast Asia. The Taipei Baboons were established in the early 1990's by expat workers from Toulouse in France...

, and Hong Kong Football Club
Hong Kong Football Club
The Soccer Section of Hong Kong Football Club has few teams. The First Team is competitng in Hong Kong Second Division League.-History:...

 as well as teams from further abroad such as British light infantry regiment The Black Watch's rugby side, who have been regular participants in the tournament since the late nineties.

The 2011 cup division was won by JML Welsh Warriors, an inaugural entry into the competition, who featured former Welsh Captain and British Lions player Colin Charvis
Colin Charvis
Colin Charvis is a former captain of the Welsh national rugby union team and also played for the British and Irish lions. A back row forward, Charvis was equally adept as a flanker or as the no...

 as their guest player.

History

The Manila 10s was the first-ever rugby tournament held in the Philippines, and remains the premier rugby tournament in the country.
The tournament started in 1989 as a way for the local, and then only, rugby club in the country, Manila Nomads to play rugby at a competitive level without having to tour regularly. The first tournament featured five teams playing in a one-day tournament but the popularity of the tournament quickly grew the competition to 16 teams playing across two days. By 2006 the tournament had reached its current numbers of 32 teams across five divisions, playing 76 games over two days.
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