Ten Sports ties up with Sri Lanka Rugby

Sri Lankan rugby received a welcome boost when Ten Sports, the Sub-continent’s number one sports channel, announced it will sponsor the Sri Lankan National Rugby team for the next one year.

An agreement to this effect was recently signed between Taj Television Limited, owners of Ten Sports, and the Interim Committee of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) headed by Dr. Maiya Gunasekera. The contract will come into effect immediately.

Dr. Maiya Gunasekera

Ten Sports will, provide a substantial investment into the SLRFU, which will be used to support the national team’s training and travel expenses as well as to fund grassroots development of rugby in Sri Lanka. In return, among other benefits, all national rugby teams of the country including Sevenas and Juniors will sport Ten Sports-branded kit and clothing.

Rugby is the second most popular sport in the island after cricket, and played at every level starting from school.

Ten Sports has been the rights holder and producer of all international cricket from Sri Lanka since 2001.

Chris McDonald, CEO, Taj Television Limited said, “We are excited to be in partnership with the SLRFU, given rugby’s place as Sri Lanka’s fastest growing sport. We now are closely associated with both cricket and rugby in the country, and we will also seek other ways to help build sport amongst Sri Lanka’s youth.”

Commenting on Ten Sports’ initiative, Dr. Maiya Gunasekera, Chairman - Interim Committee of the SLRFU, and a former manager, national player, national coach and past President of the national rugby body, said: “I am very grateful to Taj Television Limited to have come forward to extend their support to be the exclusive sponsors of the Sri Lanka National Rugby Team for a period of 12 months.

“This is the first time in the history where an international sports broadcaster has stepped into the shoes of a sponsor of the National Rugby Team and there is no doubt that the support we have received has had a positive impact on the players and it has certainly boosted the morale of the team members.

“I am certain the players have understood the importance of contributing their utmost in terms of performance in the Hong Kong Sevens tournament and the Five Nation Tournament in Dubai and strive to be ranked within the first five nations in Asia.”

The Sri Lanka national team was sponsored by Singer Sri Lanka Limited for the last three years but the company had to pull out of all sports sponsorships for a period of six months due to the current world economic crisis.