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China has pulled out of their World Cup qualifier against Sri Lanka to be played in Colombo on Sunday. China has written to the International Rugby Board (IRB) stating their inability to honour the fixture, giving various reasons.

They have stated that ten of their players are having problems in obtaining travel documents due to the Chinese Government's new regulations, the President of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union, Commodore Harsha Mayadunne said yesteray. The Chinese RFU, in a letter to the IRB tournament committee chairman Fraiser Neil, has stated that it takes ten days for them to finalise the travel documents/passports, but have asked to put off the match until April 7. China has also indicated their inability to play the match as they have to prepare for China International Sevens and Hong Kong International Sevens.

Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union council had an emergency meeting tonight to decide on what action they should take. The excuses China has given in their letter to the IRB do not justify their request for a postponement at the eleventh hour after the hosts Sri Lanka has made all the preparations.

Technically, Sri Lanka could ask for a walk over but the IRB tournament committee has the final say on the cause of action they should take. Apart from stating problems of preparing passports of ten players, China has also stated that their schedule clashes with Hong Kong Sevens. But Sri Lanka too is down to play at the Hong Kong Sevens and China could not keep away from the Colombo fixture with a valid reason, approved by the IRB. Sri Lanka's other World Cup qualifier will be against Kazakhstan in April. (D.W.) 

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