Sri Lanka Sevens rugby soars to number three in Asia. Hong Kong China and Japan go one-two in Asia after thrilling tournament in Colombo. – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE. (eLanka Sports Editor).
Sri Lanka’s profile in Rugby Union has spiralled to noticeable proportion after the Tuskers Sevens outfit performed creditability at the recent Asian Sevens tournament at the Racecourse ground in Colombo.
Ranked fourth in Asia previously, the Lankans played a dazzling brand of Sevens rugby and were narrowly edged out to third place behind powerhouses Hong Kong China and Japan.
Sri Lanka looked ominous early beating Uzbekistan 26-14 then overrunning Singapore 22-5, smashing China 34-7 before hitting a stumbling block against Japan the runner-up 12-15 in a controversial game riddled by refereeing errors including the game ending a minute earlier than scheduled.
Sri Lanka skipper Kavindu Perera praised his team for their uncompromising commitment and determination. He was disappointed in missing out on a final which was nearly achievable.
The return of veteran Sevens star Srinath Sooriyabandsra boosted Sri Lanka’s campaign as he scorched through many a defence to end up top scorer in the tournament.
Sri Lanka’s women were disappointing finishing a distant 11th. There’s much to be done to improve their performance.
With the recent restructure of the Rugby administration in the country and some important changes implemented to the constitution recommended by a Special Task Force set up by the Sports Ministry, it now appears that the fog and mist surrounding the games governance and direction has been cleared to help the game develop without political hindrance, say sources close to the sport.
The three-member Special Task Force have done an excellent job to clear the debris that has been dragging the game and its direction down due to tactical manipulation for personal gain by interested parties in the past, it is believed.
At a long overdue Annual General Meeting of Sri Lanka Rugby held recently, former national and CR&FC player Pavithra Fernando was elected Chairman avoiding the wrath of the world controlling body IRB, who has been irked by the political instability within the controlling structure in the Island.
Earlier Sri Lanka’s national team, elevated to the top four in the 15-a-side tournament fell short of qualifying, beaten in all their matches but in close contests with two possible qualifiers to the 2027 World Cup in Australia.
Only Hong Kong China thrashed them out of the three they played against. UAE and South Korea managed to edge past a vastly improved Lankan squad.
Work has now commenced around getting the team structured to meet the highest standards with a view and aim of future qualification on the biggest stage and excitement is growing about the task ahead.
It is widely believed that Sri Lanka Rugby will reach out to New Zealand for guidance in all vital aspects of development to reach world class standards.
The Kiwis have already got an idea of the Sri Lanka talent with the visit of the ‘Small Blacks’, an under 85kg weight category team that played against the locals.They left the Island impressed and victorious, but with much to talk about.
Speculation is rife about the anticipated upliftment of the standard of rugby and the structure in the country and initial ideas of how to attract crowds to the domestic tournaments that drew thousands of keen spectators several decades ago.
Currently, only a handful attend local games due to a bad structure, ineffectual marketing and inability to attract sponsors.
Rugby several decades ago had the biggest following until the tide changed to Cricket when Sri Lanka, under Arjuna Ranatunge stunned the world when they lifted the 1996 World Cup.
The new administration face a huge challenge to bring crowds back to rugby.
