Kandy SC face strong challenge from CR and CH

Ranjeeva Seneviratne

Kandy Sports Club which has reigned supreme in Sevens Rugby will go all out to retain the Club Rugby Sevens title for a record seventh successive year when the Dialog Professional Rugby Sevens will be worked off on February 16 and 17, 2008 at Pallekelle.

Kandy Sports Club first won the Club Rugby Sevens title in 1999 by beating CR and FC 12-5 in the final but surrendered the title to Havelocks in 2000 and 2001 but regained the title in 2002 and retained the title for the sixth successive year last year by beating CR and FC (28-5) at Radella and 15-7 at Longden Place in the finals of the Cup Championship.

This year Kandy Sports Club under the leadership of Pradeep Liyanage will field a virtual national 'Sevens' team with players of the calibre of Dushanth Lewke, Imran Bisthamin, Eranda Weerakkody and former Sri Lanka 'Sevens' skipper Radhika Hettiarachchi playing in the pack while the star studded three quarter line will comprise Saliya Kumara (scrum half), Fazil Marija (fly half), skipper Pradeep Liyanage and winger Sanjeeva Jayasinghe with Sri Lanka youth player Kusal Rankothge also vying for a place in the three quarter line.

But Kandy SC will face a strong challenge from CR and FC and CH and FC. The Red Shirts will field a side studded with national players Sri Lanka ruggerities Anuradha Dharmatilleke, Senthil Kumar, Danushka Perera and Ashen Karthelis will be the forwards while skipper Amjad Buksh (scrum half) and Ashen de Costa (fly half), Lasintha de Costa, Mohamed Sheriff, Dinesh Kumara and last year's Kandy SC winger Mohamed Jabbar will play in the back division. CH and FC led by Sri Lanka winger Lakala Perera will also field a formidable side with national players Achala Perera, Dinesh Sanjeewa, Dilanka Wijesekera and ex-Sri Lanka scrum half Milinda jayasinghe playing in the pack.

'Sevens' specialist Tuan Shamrock, Lakala Perera, Matheesha de Silva and ex-Wesleyite Niranjan Wickremaratne will play in the three quarter line. CH last won the Rugby Sevens title in 1997 and 1998 having fist bagged the title in 1980 and then clinched it for four years in a row from 1991 to 1994.

Twelve teams will compete in the Dialog Professional Sevens - Kandy SC, CR and FC, CH and FC, Havelocks, Army, Police, Air Force, Old Zahirians, Jawatte Lions, Petersons, Kurunegala RFC and Galle RFC.