Jupana heads national rugby selection committee

Ranjeeva Seneviratne

Former Trinity, Havelocks, Army and Sri Lanka scrum half Brigadier Jupana Jayawardena has been appointed as the chairman of the national selection committee of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union by the Minister of Sports and Public Recreation Gamini Lokuge.

Jayawardena turned out with distinction for Army from 1970 to 1974 captaining the team in the final year having earlier played for Havelocks (1967 to 1969) and also donned the Sri Lanka jersey.

Former Kandy SC, Havelocks, Uva and Sri Lanka second row forward Lanil Tennekoon has also been appointed to the new selection committee.

Tennekoon played for Kandy SC in 1973 and 1974 and joined Havelocks in 1975 and turned out for the Park Club till 1978 and was an automatic choice for the Sri Lanka team from 1974 to 1978.

Former Havelocks skipper, CH and FC and Sri Lanka centre Peterite Graham Raux and ex-Thomian and CR and FC skipper and Sri Lanka flanker Savantha de Saram are also in the new selection committee along with former Police skipper Norman Silva who served in the previous selection committee too. Norman Silva was an automatic choice for the Sri Lanka team from 1986 to 1998.