Kandy-CR final likely at Qi Pro Rugby Sevens

Ranjeeva SENEVIRATNE

RUGBY: The star studded Kandy Sports Club which clinched the Cup Championship of the Singer Professional Sevens played at Radella a fortnight ago will go all out to bag their second title for the year by emerging victorious at the Qi Pro Rugby Sevens which will be worked off at Longden Place today and tomorrow.

The lads from Kandy which won the Radella Sevens with a resounding 26-5 win over arch rivals CR and FC in the final will field a virtual Sri Lanka team with the return of Sri Lanka ‘sevens’ skipper Chamara Vithanage into the side.

Kandy led by centre Pradeep Liyanage will have the services of Saliya Kumara, Fazll Marija, Chamara Vithanage, Danushka Perera, Buddhika, Thalagampola and Sanjeewa Jayasinghe (easily the best ‘sevens’ player produced by Sri Lanka during the last decade) with Eranda Weerakkody, Abdul Jabber and Prasad Chathuranga as the stand-byes.

The biggest threat to Kandy SC will be posed by the CR and FC which has been strengthened by the inclusion of former Sri Lanka ‘sevens’ captain Radhika Hettiarachchi and last year’s Isipatana skipper and Sri Lanka ‘sevens’ player Ashan de Costa.

The Red Shirts will be once again led by Sri Lanka sevens player Anuradha Dharmatilleke and will have Ashan Karthelis, Radhika Hettiarachchi, Amjad Buksh, Ashan de Costa, Dinesh Kumara and Mohamed Sheriff. These two teams are likely to clash in the cup championship final of the Qi pro rugby sevens.

CH and FC coached by Tony Amith and Chandrishan Perera are also likely to give of their best. Led by national sevens player Dilanka Wijesekera the lads form Maitland Crescent will have the services of Dinesh Sanjeewa, Navinda Pullkulliarachchi, Tuan Shamrock, Matheesha de Silva and two ex-Havelocks players Sajith Bandara and Lakala Perera.

The winners of the plate championship of the Radella sevens Havelocks. will be led by Veteran Ruwan Suranga and will have the services of Chanaka Fonseka, Roshan Rajapakse, Dilan de Zoysa, Dilip Methruwan, Zakir Badurdeen and Ruchira Ratnage.

The Park Club will miss the services of Lalindra Rodrigo who has left for England.

The twelve teams playing in tier one have been divided into four groups Kandy SC, old Zahirians and Galle RFC have been drawn into group ‘A’ while CH and FC, Army ‘A’ and CR and FC ‘B’ are in Group ‘B’ while Group ‘C’ will comprise Havelocks, Army ‘B’ and Air Force Group ‘D’ will consist of CR and FC, Police ad Jawate Lions.

Twenty four teams will take part in tier two with all the matches being played at Colombo University grounds.

Group ‘A’ - Air Force ‘B’ Piliyandala RFC, Old Royalists.

Group ‘B’ - CH and FC ‘B’ Millennium RFC, Panadura RFC.

Group ‘C’ - Kurunegala FRC, Science Maroons Old Harischandra RFC.

Group ‘D’ - Colombo University, Rajarata University, Old Kannangara RFC.

Group ‘E’ - Petersons SC old Wesleyites, old Thurstanites.

Group ‘F’ - Uva RFC, Army ‘C’, Homagama RFC.

Group ‘G’ - Puffins RFC, Matale RFC, Seethawaka RFC.

Group ‘H’ - Old Zairians ‘B’, Embilipitiya RFC, Ratnapura RFC.

The tournament will be sponsored by Qi (Pvt) limited a Hong Kong based company which will also be sponsoring the Singer sevens in Kandy and the national team which will take part in the Hong Kong sevens and the Cobra sevens in Malaysia with a total sponsorship package of Rs. five million.