Primavera Invites you to Watch the Higalaay Rugby Challenge Cup

Posted by Jane on September 19, 2014

Prepare for an exciting weekend of Rugby Football as the Manila Hapons go head-to-head with our very own Cagayan de Oro Rugby Football Club, the CDO Rafters, during the first ever Higalaay Rugby Challenge this coming Saturday, September 20, 2014 at 1PM.

Rugby football is the fastest-growing sport in the city and in just one year, our local team headed by coach Noel Villa, has already won a championship cup in the national games. As part of the team’s first anniversary celebration, they have invited to Cagayan de Oro the Manila Hapons, one of the strongest teams in Philippine Rugby.

The Manila Hapons is a Manila-based International Touring team who are regulars in national and Asian games. The team is headed by Masayuki Sekiguchi, a member of the national rugby team, the Philippine Volcanoes.

Primavera Residences, a proud partner of the CDO Rafters, enjoins each and everyone to watch the games this coming Saturday, 1PM at Xavier University High School at Pueblo de Oro Business Park in Uptown Cagayan de Oro. Prior to the main event, juniors will also be playing Flag Rugby Games as part of the search for the Caltex Junior Rugby Stars.

So bring your family and friends and get ready for a high-adrenaline weekend with your local rugby heroes!

Primavera Residences is a twin-tower 1o-storey eco-friendly building located at uptown Cagayan de Oro. It recently won as the Best Mixed-Use Development for the Philippines in the Asia Pacific Property Awards.

For more information, visit www.primaveraresidences.com or call 088-880-5002.

Primavera Residences Partners with Cagyan de Oro Rugby Club

Posted by Primavera Residences on March 14, 2014

Primavera Residences has partnered with the Cagayan de Oro Rugby Football Club (CDORFC) in bringing the much-loved sport in Italy to the city.

“The beginning of rugby in CDO is very inspiring,” said Jane Montebon Duterte, Community Relations Specialist of Primavera Residences. “From just one man, Noel Villa, the group now has more than 30 active members. It continues to grow with its Get Into Rugby program for children, high school and college students – even including women. This is now the fastest-growing sport in Cagayan de Oro.”

Rugby, an outdoors sport, is a way of promoting the advo

cacy for nature and sustainability of Italpinas Euroasian Design and Eco-Development Corporation (ITPI Corp.), developer of Primavera Residences. “This is a very eco-friendly activity and will promote going out of the house instead of spending time indoors using up electricity,” said Ms. Duterte.

Primavera Residences is the first eco-friendly condominium complex in Mindanao. This 10-story two-tower mixed-use condominium building located in Pueblo de Oro Business Park is noted for its elegant Italian design and energy-saving features.

Noel Villa, founder and coach of the club, recalled in a blog post his effort to attract possible players by jogging around his subdivision, tossing a rugby ball. Although his first attempts had not been successful, he did not give up, feeling the need to share his enthusiasm for the support.

“Back in the United Kingdom where I stayed for 27 years, I grew up playing rugby for my school,” he stated. “I love how the sport teaches discipline, strategy and team work and of course, the show of strength and agility which every sportsman can relate.” Finally, through Facebook and friends, he was able to put up a team.

“Now I can proudly say that after five months of training under the sun or rain, CDO RFC is ready to take on another milestone: compete in a real game against more experienced teams,” Mr. Villa wrote.

On February 22 this year, Primavera Residences sponsored the CDORFC in the kick-off games of the VisMin Rugby league. CDORFC played against the Davao and Cebu rugby teams. Primavera Residences is looking towards a bigger partnership with the club which will include community outreach activities and events.

“Italpinas, through Primavera Residences, is very happy with this partnership with the Cagayan de Oro Rugby Football Club,” said Arch. Romolo V. Nati, CEO of ITPI.

“Seeing that their advocacies are very much aligned with the company, we look forward to seeing them lead the growth of rugby as a sport, not only here in Cagayan de Oro, but in nearby regions also.”

Primavera Residences has recently been awarded for Mixed-Use Development in the Philippines by the International Property Awards. In 2011, the South East Asia Property Awards commended Primavera Residences as One of the Best Condo Developments in the Philippines.

Cagayan de Oro Rugby Football Club (CdO RFC): A Kagay-Anon Journey to The Sport of Rugby

Posted by Jane on February 25, 2014

BY NOEL VILLA (founder and coach of the Cagayan de Oro Rugby Football Club)

Each one of us has a role to play in this world: a good father, a great leader, and a lot more. As for me, I choose to be a simple teacher who loves to teach and share my passion for Rugby.

I admit, I am no Jonah Lomu (the first global superstar in Rugby Union) and I will never be like him inside the pitch. But that’s not the only way one can spread love for the sport, especially in a place where almost nobody has ever seen a real rugby ball.

Back in the United Kingdom where I stayed for 27 years, I grew up playing rugby for my school. I love how the sport teaches discipline, strategy and team work and of course, the show of strength and agility which every sportsman can relate.

When I came home to the Philippines for a vacation in September 2011, I was lucky to find a rugby team to train with. My first team, The Raging Bisons, won 2nd Place in the Plate Division during the first ever Rugby 7’s in the 2012 Philippine National Games. I later joined the Globe Immortals Team and have contributed to Rugby 101 program to teach the sport at the Ultra grounds, which I find quite fulfilling.

noel vila cdo rugby — *Winning a Silver Medal in the Plate Division during the 2012 Philippine Games*

Love brought me to Cagayan de Oro City in June of 2013 and I have settled in this lovely City ever since. But there was one problem: nobody that I talked to knew anything about Rugby when I first came here. So, I started jogging at Pueblo de Oro carrying my only Rugby Ball, tossing the ball up in the air from 5:30am to 7:00am, with the sole mission of getting a curious jogger to ask what the egg-shaped ball was for. That proved to be a challenge and yes, I got some odd looks from the people who saw me then. For the next few days I did this religiously and though not having much luck, I didn’t think of giving up on the sport that has helped me a lot growing up.
After a few days of no luck, I realized I have to change my strategy. Since there was no Rugby club in the local scene, I decided to create one.

So in August 2013, I formed a Facebook Page which I named Cagayan de Oro Rugby Football Club (CDO RFC) hoping to catch the attention of those who are curious about the sport and possibly get them to play Rugby. I made sure to advertise the Club in different FB Groups, subtly recruiting boys and girls to try playing the sport and practically promoting its history and growth into the mainstream sports scene.

Three guys showed up during the first training session, then became ten and soon enough, we got girls into the Team. Now there are over thirty members in the Club and counting.

Above all, I am proud that CDO RFC Team has developed a heart for the community through our social advocacy, “Help Change the Life of a Child” providing sports therapy and feeding program to the children of Boys Town in Lumbia, Cagayan de Oro City.

help save the life of a child — *“Help Change the Life of a Child” – Sports Therapy and Feeding Program of CDO RFC for the children of Boys Town Lumbia.*

We also advocate the value of charity and goodwill to the community through our “Give Blood, Play Rugby” Program where we donate blood through the Northern Mindanao Medical Center.

Creating and maintaining the CDO RFC was no walk in the park and there is still so much work to be done.

I started the Club with no funds and had to rely on friends to share some of their precious savings so I can run the Club with integrity. There were paper works to accomplish, fees to pay and plenty of unanswered questions such as, “Where shall we train the kids?”, “Where do we get the balls, crash pads and cones for training?”, “How do we produce the kits?”, “How do we recruit players?” or “Where do we get the budget for rugby development?” and so on. Most of the answers to these questions actually cost me my own savings and precious time.

Steve Jobs once said, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking and don’t settle.” True, there were challenging obstacles along the way but I chose to do this because I love what I do and I believe that there are talents waiting to be discovered. Now I can proudly say that after five months of training under the sun or rain, CDO RFC is ready to take on another milestone: compete in a real game against more experienced teams.

——————-

UPDATE: On February 22, 2014, the Cagayan de Oro Rugby Football Club competed with the Cebu Dragons and Davao Durians at the Pelaez Sports Complex in Cagayan de Oro City. The day began with a free Get Into Rugby (GIR) Clinic which was open for boys and girls aged 11 to 16 from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m. followed by the kick-off games of the VisMin Rugby Football League from 12 noon onwards.

See below for photos taken during the event.

Do you know which multi-awarded green condominium building in CDO is proudly supporting the Cagayan de Oro Rugby Football Club? Click here.

Tag: rugby football