Ups and downs as school rugby begins

By M. Shamil Amit

The much awaited Dialog schools Under-19 rugby league tournament will get underway today at Havelock Park with a match between last year’s runner up Wesley College and Prince of Wales College, one of two teams promoted to the top division.

The match is one of nine games scheduled to be worked off this week with four scheduled to be played on Friday, three on Saturday and one on Sunday. 

The tournament has 18 teams divided into three groups of six in each.

Defending champions Trinity is slotted in Group 1A along with Isipathana, DS Senanayake, Sri Sumangala, St Anthony’s and newcomers Lumbini while the teams in Group 2A are last year’s runner up Wesley, St Peter’s, St Joseph’s, Ananda, Mahanama and Prince of Wales. The teams in Group 3A are Royal, S. Thomas’, Kingswood, Zahira, Thurstan and Science College.

Prince of Wales will be confronting strong opponents Wesley and it is left to be seen how they will cope up. 

Defending champions Trinity will begin their campaign against the other newcomers to the top league Lumbini on at Pallekele and they too should have little difficulty in brushing off the challenge.

Trinity will be seeking not only to retain the league title but will be aiming for the double as they have already clinched the schools knockout title.

St Peter’s has the edge against Mahanama while the matches between DS Senanayake and Sri Sumangala, Ananda versus St. Joseph’s and Kingswood versus Zahira are expected to be closely contested affairs.

Isipathana and Royal have an easy outing against St Anthony’s and Science College and are favourites to start their campaign on a winning note.

The first round matches of the league tournament will come to an end on May 24 which will be followed by the second round scheduled to be played in June.