Under-19 rugby pool selected for Asian Championships

Ranjeeva Seneviratne

RUGBY: The National Selection Committee of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union which met on Monday picked a 40-member pool in preparation for the under 19 Asian Rugby Football championships which will be held in Chinese Taipei from December 15 to 23 this year.

The National Selection Committee comprising Asanga Seneviratne (Chairman), Chaminda Rupasinghe, Nazeem Mohamed, Rohan Abeykoon and Lasitha Guneratne selected the pool after witnessing two trial matches played between Western Province and Central Province on November 11 and Western Province and Southern Province on November 13.

The pool will go into training from this week under the watchful eyes of Sri Lanka under 19 coach Sanath Martis and his assistant-former Antonian and Sri Lanka Flanker Viper Guneratne (jnr). The final 23-member squad will be picked in the first week of December.

Tuan Dole, the former Antonian, Havelocks, CR and FC and Dimbula fly half will be the manager.

The 40-member pool:

Props: Manil Abeyratne (Royal), Harsha Rangana (Ananda), D. Gunatilake (Dharmaraja), Andrew Jegan (Wesely), Jazzer Hassan (Trinity).

Hookers: Bilal Hassan (Royal), Mahen Wickramasiri (Trinity), Dinesh Manawadu (St. Aloysius).

Second Rowers Sean Wanigasekera (Trinity), Chulan Nanayakkara (Isipatana), Rayan Dias (St. Anthony's), Ishan Noor (St. Peter's), Jhan Zaffer (Wesley).

Flankers Shashika Jayawardena (St. Anthony's), Rohitha Rajapaksa (S. Thomas'), Poornaka Delpachithra (St. Peter's), Amith Perera (Vidyartha), Arjuna Bopitiya (St. Peter's), Gayan Ratnage (Kingswood)

Number Eight: Harin Ariyawardene (St. Peter's), Banuka Hegoda (St. Joseph's), D. B. Dissanayake (St. Sylvester's)

Scrum Halves: Shanaka Peters (Wesley), Tilina Lakshana (Vidyartha), Rajitha Jayewardene (Isipatana)

Fly halves: Irfath Meedin (St. Peter's), C. Chandima (Vidyartha), Praveen Madusanka (St. Aloysius)

Centres: Tilina Manoj (Kingswood), Gayan Weeraratne (Kingswood), Roshan Wijesiri (St. Anthony's), Damith Udayanga (Isipatana), Harsha Weerakkody (St. Peter's)

Wingers Kushal Rankoth (St. Anthony's), Kasun Gamage (Isipatana), H.N.M. Silva (Nalanda), Priyan Rodrigo (St. Joseph's), Chanaka Guneratne (St. Anthony's)

Full Back Dinusha Chathuranga (Isipatana), Hettiarachchi (Dharmaraja).