Sri Lanka forms 53-member rugby pool

By Shamseer Jaleel

Sri Lanka picked an initial pool of 53 players for the Asian Rugby Top 3 Tournament against Hong Kong and South Korea.

The Hong Kong encounter will be played in Colombo on May 23 while the South Korean game will be away on June 13. The UAE pulled out of the tournament. This will put them in an encounter probably with Malaysia to play in the AR Top 4 in 2027 which is the partway for the Rugby World Cup through Asian qualification.

None of the Sevens players who were contracted recently by Sri Lanka Rugby for the Asian Games and Asian Sevens series were included in this squad.

The final selection trial game will take place on May 15 in Colombo. Dushanth Lewke will continue as the head coach.

Sri Lanka preliminary squad:

Tharindu Chathuranga, Vimukthi Gamage, ⁠Naham Hemachandra, Janith Chandimal, Denuwan Hansaka, Chathura Dilshan, ⁠Abdul Haadhi, Sabith Musheen, ⁠Kaweesha Kaluarachchi, Thanuja Maduranga, Sachinthana Waidyanatha, Nirosh Perera, Nisal Silva, Harusha Perera, Dilshara Kodagoda, ⁠Isuru Perera, Mursheed Doray, Venura kodagoda
Udesh Madushanka, Harsha Maduranga

⁠Oshan Gunarathne, Samitha Warnakulasooriya, Kaveesha Amarasekara, Hamdaan Safraz, Hansitha de Silva, Shamika Kaushan, Koojana Kulatunge, Yoshitha Jayasekera, Januth Rathnayake, Janith Marasinhge, Yuwan Pathirana, Thilina Bandara, Viduna Amaneth, Kushan Tharindu, Abdullah Rizvi, Naveen Marasinghe, Denuwan Wickramarachchi, Isuru Kongahawatte, Asiri Senivirathne, Omalka Gunarathne, Dimuth Perera, Nuwan Perera, Shenal Uyangoda, Lasindu Karunathilaka, Pasindu Bandara, Dilshan Jaya, Shenal Adhikaram, Sudaraka Dikkumbura, Lahiru Rathnayake , Ashan Bandara, Pramod Padmashanka, Navin Kanishka, Thenuka Nanayakkara, Rinesh Silva, Hirantha Perera