Rugby talk with Siva

Sanjeeva dazzles at Singer Sri Lankan sevens

SANJEEVA Jayasinghe, the skipper of the Sri Lankan Rugby side dazzled at the Singer Sri Lankan Airlines Rugby Sevens Championship worked off at Nittawela on September 9, 10 and 11 in pouring rain.

This tournament with an international flair attracted Japan, Korea, Chinese Taipei, China, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, Arabian Gulf, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Guam and Sri Lanka.

Japan, the giants of Asian Rugby which won the Cup Championship last year won the cup championship again this year too defeating their arch rivals Korea by 28 points to 10 points in the finals.

It was a ding dong battle between the two leading rugby playing nations of Asia and Japan emerged victors after a gruelling first half.

Japan in the semi-finals beat Chinese Taipei, Korea in their semi-finals beat the up and coming China by 36 points to nil in an exhibition of fast and furious rugby.

China which started playing rugby only a few years ago is one of the fast improving rugby playing nations in Asia who will very soon be a challenge to Japan and Korea. After they were eliminated from the Cup Championship they played for the third place against Chinese Taipei and won the game by 28 points to 14 points.

Thus Japan, Korea and China have qualified to play in the IRB annual Sevens Tourneys to be held in Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo.

Plate Championship

Sri Lanka which was aspiring to play in the Cup Championship lost to Korea in the quarter-finals of the Cup Championship by 26 points to 5 points and had to be contended by playing in the Plate Championship and did well to win the Plate Championship for the third consecutive year.

Sri Lanka which met Kazakhstan in the final scored 17 points to nil and won the 'Plate' to the delight of the local crowd who thronged the Nittawela Stadium in spite of the inclement weather.

The Sri Lankan skipper Sanjeeva Jayasinghe was the most outstanding player for the country whose incredible speed was too good for their opponents which left them gaping. He scored a total tally of six brilliant tries in three games which helped Sri Lanka to become the plate champions.

School Championships

In the school championships at this tournament St. Anthony's College, Kandy got the better of St. Peter's College, Bambalapitiya by 12 points to 7 points. Science College won the Plate beating Wesley College and Dharmaraja College beat St. Sylvester's College to win the Bowl Trophy.

Curtains on Club Rugby

The inter-club rugby tournament has come to a close with Kandy SC becoming the leading rugby playing club in the country. CR and FC who showed a lot of promise during the first half of the Caltex League 'A' Division Tournament beating even the reigning champions Kandy SC but suffered setbacks when they were beaten by Kandy SC in the last of the league tournament.

They even lost narrowly to lowly placed CH & FC in the semi-finals in the Clifford Cup Tournament and was to bow out in a disappointing manner.

Their performance during the latter part of the season is inexplicable and makes one to wonder whether there have been under ground manipulations to stall the success of this club which has some of the most outstanding players in local rugby of which several had captained their schools with success.

The other leading clubs such as CH & FC and Havelocks SC had a mediocre season when compared with their past performances.

Of the service teams Army was the only team which made an impression in this year's tournaments, Air Force and Navy played in fits and starts and proved to be utter failures.

Police which was a big name in local rugby from the sixties appear to have lost their way. The less said the better.

Old Zahirians, who are new arrivals to big time rugby by their performance make one to wonder whether they should be playing in the major league.

The rugby union must promote more rugby clubs in Colombo and the outstation to cater to the large number of schoolboy rugby players who leave school each year so that they could continue their rugby at club level and contribute to Sri Lankan rugby.