By Paulo Loreto Lim

The Negros Island Rugby Club youth team will be hosting the Cebu Junior Dragons for the inaugural “Get Into Rugby” Festival this weekend, October 27, in Bacolod City.

Tagged the “Negros Hornbills,” according to a press release, this will be the first time a Negrense team will be playing at home.

Negros Island Rugby Club manager Anne Marice Sajorne discussed the significance of the mascot, which is named for the endangered tarictic hornbill, a native species to Negros and other nearby islands.

“Since the members of our home team were born and raised here in Negros, we wanted our team to reflect our sense of community by choosing a native species as our symbol,” she explained.

Sajorne also serves as regional development officer for the Philippine Rugby Football Union, which was founded in 1999 and recognized by World Rugby, the rugby union and rugby sevens governing body, in 2008.

The Negros Island Rugby Club looks to expose young people to the sport, along with empowering the youth and uniting

communities./PLL, WDJ