Sri Lankan ruggerites keep their dreams alive

Hafiz Marikar

Sri Lanka kept their dreams alive by coming on top they in the HSBC Asian 5 Nation Division tournament. The Sri Lanka rugby team is one of Asia’s most improved sides in recent years, gradually clawed their way back with a good win in the finals.

Captain of the side 0ld Thomian and Navy SC skipper Yositha Rajapaksa handled the forwards in an examplery manner and the Vice Captain of the side Kingswoodain and Kandy Sports Club ruggerite Fazil Marija kept the back division players together with some dashing runs and vital interceptions.

Sri Lanka got their HSBC Asian 5 Nations campaign off to a dream start which helped the Sri Lankans to beat Chinese Taipei in the first game 39/9, Thailand 45/7 and Kazakhstan 49/18, proved and showed beyond

doubt that the tiny Islanders were above all to show the big wigs how rugby should be played and how it can be played. Sri Lanka got their HSBC Asian 5 Nations campaign off to a dream start which boosts their hopes of qualifying for a first ever Rugby World Cup.

However,Sri Lanka were not to be denied victory in front of a raucous 15,000 plus home crowd and, after the visiting team put up a strong contest in the first 15 minutes gradually surrendered to the fast running Sri Lanka three quarters.

Kazakhstan made several mistakes and were penalized on a number of occasion and the home team took advantage of this to progres with good captaincy by Yositha Rajapaksa who led from the front.Sri Lanka who remained unbeaten in this tournament over here in Colombo, have now qualified to play in the main competition with the top Asian teams like Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and UAE which will commence in 2014.

Sri Lanka’s hopes of causing a huge upset to get their Asian 5 Nations and RWC 2011 qualification challenge back on track. well-done the player, Coach, trainer, the SLRFU headed by Asanga Senavirthne and all the people who gave a great support to do well in this five nation tournament, it was rugby at its best in all three game played by Sri Lankans, It was indeed great encouragement and huge enthusiasm for the players, management, spectators to see the first citizen of the country an ardent lover of sports President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the sports promoting Minister of Sports Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Asian RFU Vice President Trevor Gregory from Hong Kong, CEO of HSBC the Sponsors of the tournament Nick Nicolaou.

Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union sponsors “Dialog” CEO Dr. Hans Wijesuriya. The SLRFU President Asanga Seniviratne, Secretary Rizly Illiyas too were there directing the team management to keep the flag flying. The Sri Lanka rugby team have yet to make their debut at the Rugby World Cup.

They have the longest tradition of organized club rugby in Asia dating back to 1879, which was just 8 years after the founding of the World’s first rugby union in England. Regularly compete in the Asian Five Nations tournament and this time emerged as winners. Sri Lanka Rugby has a long history, dating back to the days of British colonialism.

The Asian 5 Nations winner will qualify as the region’s representative for RWC 2011 - joining hosts New Zealand, France, Tonga and Canada in Pool A - with the runner up entering the cross-continental play-off to determine the 20th and finalqualifier. “The dream lives on”

“This is an awesome start, and just what we wanted,” said Asanga Seneviratne.

“It was a great squad effort, but we have to keep our feet on the ground as we still have another level to step on in 2014 and to go.” Sri Lanka Rugby coaches added: “The dream lives on. Nobody expects us to win, and that is why this is a dream. There is now a strong possibility that we can at least finish with respectability.