Arunashantha will lead Air Force Rugby Sevens team

Ranjeeva SENEVIRATNE

The Sri Lanka Air Force which came up with a stupendous performance last year to enter the finals of the second leg of the Dialog Professional Rugby Sevens will once again field a formidable Sevens team this year in the Inter-club Rugby Sevens which will be worked off at Nittawala on February 7 and 8 and Longden Place on February 28 and March 1, 2009.

The Airmen stormed into the finals with two smashing wins over the more fancied CH and FC and CR and FC in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively before losing to mighty Kandy SC in the finals by 12-41 and are determined to give of their best this year.

The Airmen will be led by former Sri Lanka Sevens player Suranga Arunashantha and will have the services of the experienced duo of Rohan Fernando and Pradeep Kurukulasuriya in addition to talented youngsters Sirej Niranga, Chanaka Chandimal, Radeesha Senevirante and Charith Seneviratne all of when played a key role in their success last year.

They have been bolstered by the presence of last year's Antonian skipper and Sri Lanka Youth player Chanaka Gunaratne who has joined the Air Force along with last year's Trinity prop forward Mohamed Riyazi.

It is in Sevens rugby that the Airmen have done well in recent years having gone down fighting to CR and FC in the finals of the second leg of the Singer Professional Sevens at Ratgama in 2006 by 29-36 and are undergoing training under the watchful eyes of their new coach Bimal Perera, the former Sri Lanka number eight and ex-CH and FC coach who is taking great pains to mould them into a formidable outfit.

He is being assisted by Mothilal Jayatilleke who will be the Physical Fitness and Strength Trainer of Air Force.

Prop forward Kosala Ranasinghe will lead Air Force in the Caltex 'A' Division League and Clifford Cup knock-out tournament.

The forte of the Airmen once again will be their power-packed forwards. Seasoned campaigners Saumya Silva, Pradeep Kurukulasuriya, Prasanna Soysa, Dinesh Weeraratne along with talented youngsters Pradeep Kodagoda, Manjula Pandiyapperuma, Linton Silva will turn out for Air Force once again along with last year's Trinity prop forward Mohamed Riyazi.

The three quarter line will be studded with outstanding youngsters Radeesha Seneviratne, Chanaka Chandimal, Charith Seneviratne, Roshan Ratnayake and Sirej Niranga who will be supported by the experienced duo of Rohan Fernando and Suranga Arunashantha while Sri Lanka youth player Chanaka Gunaratne will also be a strong contender for a place as a winger.