Schools Rugby League launched with record 90 teams

Buddika Attanayake, president of the Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association (third from left) receiving the sponsorship package from Lasantha Theverapperuma, Group Chief Marketing Officer, Dialog flanked by Harsha Samaranayake, Vice President Group Marketing Dialog and Dilruk Jayawardena, Deputy Director of Sports, Ministry of Education (Pic: Kushan Pathiraja)

By M. Shamil Amit

The much looked forward to schools rugby tournament the Dialog Schools Rugby League was launched at the Duncan White Auditorium at the Ministry of Sports on Monday graced by the team captains.

The season will kick off with the Dialog knockout tournament from today contested by 16 teams comprising defending champions Isipathana, Trinity, St Peter’s, Royal, Wesley, St Joseph’s, Kingswood, St Anthony’s Katugastota, S. Thomas’, DS Senanayake, Zahira, Thurstan, Ananda, Mahanama, Science College and Sri Sumangala.

Two matches are down for decision today with St Peter’s meeting Ananda at the Royal Sports Complex ground and Trinity clashing with Thurstan at Longden Place.

The league tournament will see a record 90 schools in three divisions vying for supremacy with Trinity the defending champions aiming to retain the trophy in the top segment.

The Division 1A segment will see the participation of 18 teams in three groups of six in each with Lumbini MV and Prince of Wales earning promotions.

Group A comprises defending champions Trinity, Isipathana, DS Senanayake, Sri Sumangala Kandy, St Anthony’s Katugastota and Lumbini.

The teams in Group B are Wesley, St Peter’s, St Joseph’s, Ananda, Mahanama and Prince of Wales. Group C consists of Royal, S. Thomas’, Kingswood, Zahira, Thurstan and Science College.

The league tournament will be contested over five weeks with nine matches to be worked off starting on April 20.

The second round matches of the Cup, Plate and Bowl segments will get underway on June 1.