Rugby nursery gets first taste of Red and Yellow

Budding rugby players in Sri Lanka will be scouted around from as young as nine years with the commencement of a Youth Rugby Carnival that will get underway on Saturday at the Police Park in Bambalapitiya.

Officially tagged S. Thomas’ Prep Invitation Championships 2025, it will be contested by all the leading rugby playing schools in the country under the guidance of former Sri Lanka fly-half and Asian Referees’ Educator Dilroy Fernando who serves as the Tournament Director. Players will perform in four age group categories, Under-10, 12, 14 and 16 and except in the first age group (U-10) the rest of age groups will involve physical tackling that will give the young exponents a maiden hang of what preparation will be for the big stage into the future.

Players in the Under-12 and 14 age groups will play according to the accepted Sevens format while the Under-16 players will field teams of 11 members each.

A unique feature of the matches according to Fernando will be that seven points will be awarded for a team that scores a try under the posts in a demarcated area, a concept that was tried out at the recent Under-20 Asian Rugby Sevens.

“If a try is scored under the post automatically seven points will be awarded and there will be no need to take the conversion. But if a try is scored outside the posts, a drop-kick will have to be taken within 30 seconds as the conversion,” said Fernando at the event’s launch on Wednesday.

He said the Cup, Plate and Bowl will be on offer and playing rules will be enforced to provide the young players with how to set their minds respecting the rules of fair-play and sportsmanship. “There will be a Code of Conduct for all players, team managers and coaches who are expected to abide by the rules of the tournament and decisions made by the officials and referees.

“In the event of misconduct or repeated and deliberate breaking of the rules or dangerous play, players will be issued with a red or yellow card,” said Fernando.

It could be first time that kindergarten rugby players in the country will be taught sportsmanship, fair-play and respect for rival players and match officials that on the contrary has been the cause of many an upheaval in the sport over the past several years.