Navy to play in 'A' Division league rugby tourney

Ranjeeva Seneviratne

The Sri Lanka Navy will take part in the 'A' Division League Rugby Tournament in 2009 after a lapse of three years.

After having played 'A' Division rugby for several years the sailors were compelled to withdraw from 'A' Division rugby in 2006 as several of their key players were deployed for duty in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.

Two top Navy ruggerites Havelocks and Sri Lanka flanker Ravi Jayasuriya, a terrific loose player and a fierce tackler and number eight Sumedha Malewana who stood out in both attack and defence for CH and FC from 2006 to 2008 and also donned the Sri Lanka Jersey in the 2007 Singer Rugby Asiad in Colombo will once again turn out for Navy.

The sailors have also obtained the services of several outstanding ruggerites - former Thomian Skipper Yoshitha Rajapaksa, Ex-Havelocks fly half Samantha Lakshan, Havelocks full back Dilip Mathruwan and former Sri Lanka Under 19 player and Havelocks winger Nuwan Hettiarachchi and they should be a force to be reckoned with in the Caltex 'A' Division League and give the more fancied clubs like Kandy SC, CR and FC and CH and FC a run for their money.

The sailors under the leadership of Yoshitha Rajapaksa came off with flying colours in the Club Rugby Sevens in Nittawala by clinching the Bowl Championship with a smashing 33-nil win over Kurunegala RFC.

They entered the final with a runaway 33-7 win over Petersons Sports Club. The sailors also went down fighting to the formidable CR and FC (12-24) in a Group match.