IRB recognition for Singer-Sri Lankan Rugby Sevens
 

by Dinesh Weerawansa

Hosts Sri Lanka has been drawn in Group 'D' as history will be created at the Singer-Sri Lankan Airlines Rugby Sevens to be worked off in Kandy next month. The popular three-day tournament, inaugurated by the Kandy Sports Club in 1999 to mark its 125th anniversary, has now gained official recognition of the International Rugby Board (IRB).

Hence, this year's tournament, will be rated as an Asian Region IRB Satellite Event, as it has finally gained official IRB Sevens status. The main sponsors of the much looked forward to event in the local rugby calendar are Singer Sri Lanka and Sri Lankan Airlines who have strongly backed the proud hosts Kandy Sports Club which has taken Sri Lanka to the IRB's international rugby map.

Sri Lanka will compete in Group D along with Taiwan and Guam at the three-day tournament to be worked off from September 9 to 11 at Nittawela. Asian rugby heavyweights Japan will compete in group A along with Thailand and Singapore while Hong Kong, China and Malaysia are drawn in Group B. Competing in group C are South Korea, Arabian Gulf and Kazakhstan.

As usual, the organisers would also run a schools seven-a-side tournament concurrently, thereby giving a golden opportunity for the budding schoolboy ruggerites to show their talents at the highest level. St.Anthony's, Ananda and Zahira have been drawn in Group A while St. Peter's, Ananda and Zahira will play in Group B.

In group C are the high-riding S.Thomas', along with Vidyartha and Science College while Kingswood, Isipatana and St.Sylvester's will scrum down in Group D.

Singer Sri Lanka chairman, Hemaka Amarasuriya was a happy man to see his firm's joint effort with Kandy SC finally gaining due recognition. "Ever since we got off with this tournament, we have been asking the organisers to get IRB recognition. Now that they have been successful in doing so, we can't ask anything more, other than working hard to see the tournament going from strength to strength.

"Our rugby has been doing well. It has attracted several blue chip companies such as Singer, Sri Lankan Airlines, Dialog and Caltex," he said.

Amarasuriya added that Sri Lanka cricket too had humble beginnings before it reached the peak with the 1996 World Cup title. "Similarly, rugby too should do well to become a force to be reckoned with in the international arena. It's a big task but we have to work towards that direction," he added.

The CEO of Sri Lankan Airlines, Peter Hill paid a compliment to the organisers for taking the tournament to the IRB calender. "It is not due to luck but as a result of the hardwork of the organisers to conduct it in style. It is nice to show the world that Sri Lanka is back in business only nine months after the tsunami tragedy. I am sure the tournament would generate its usual excitement," he said.

President of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union, Priyantha Ekanayake thanked the organisers for making a huge effort to improve the standard of the tournament every year and taking it to the IRB calendar.

When questioned about the impact of the recent assassination of Foreign Minister, the organisers said teams such as Japan, Korea and Guam have expressed initial concern about the emergency regulations. "We made them aware that is only a precautionary measure. I am confident all of them would come as scheduled," Chairman of the Organising Committee Iswan Omar said. However, India has been kept as the 13th country (stand bye).

When the success of the Kandy Sports Club and the elevation of the Singer Sri Lankan Airlines tournament is spoken about, one cannot forget the huge contribution made by former SLRFU President Malik Samarawickrema over the years. Together with Dharmasiri Madugalle and Dr. Sarath Kapuwatte, well supported by the sponsors, Samarawickrema has played a key role in the promotion of rugby in the hill capital.