DAVAO Durians rugby football club players Daryl Ross Rosos Lomosbog of Davao Winchester Colleges Incorporated and Uldarico Bande Jr. of Emilio Ramos National High School were selected to join the two-day Philippine Rugby U19s National Development Squad tryouts that closed yesterday at Southern Plains Calamba, Laguna.
Lomosbog and Bande Jr. were selected based on their performance in the recent Palawan 7s tournament where the Davao Durians emerged Bowl division champion after routing Palawan Bearcats, 46-0.
Lomosbog, in a Facebook interview with SunStar Davao, said: "Hindi po ako nag-expect kasi baguhan palang ako sa rugby. At lalo na pag tackling ang nilalaro."
The 17-year-old Lomosbog only started playing rugby six months ago.
"Nagpapasalamat po ako sa pamilya ko na nagsuporta sa akin, magbibiyahe pa kasi ako Sto.Tomas to Davao para lang mag- training," he said, also thanking his uncles and aunts Edward and Fe Ryan and Eldie and Ruby Halasan for supporting him.
He also thanked the Davao Durians whom he calls his second family, his parents Rolito and Daisy and his girlfriend Daisy Flores Dalen.
He said the tryout was challenging, saying, "Medyo nakakapagod pero binigay ko lahat ang best ko kahit na rookie ako pwede ako makasabay sa mga matatagal nang players sa rugby."
Meanwhile, England-based Davao Durians player James Halasan Ryan, which also formed part of the city team that won in the Palawan 7s, is training with the U20 7s team for a multi-national tournament in Hong Kong slated August 3 to 5.