Up Country Lions Clinch Rugby Sevens Title
Ranjeeva SENEVIRATNE
A superb last minute try by Sri Lanka Sevens player Nigel Ratwatte
enabled Up Country Lions to beat Havelocks Sports Club by 14 points (two
goals) to 12 (one goal, one try) in the Cup Championship final of the
Club Rugby Sevens played at Havelock Park yesterday after leading 7-5 at
the breather.
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A jubilant Up Country Lions skipper Srinath Sooriyabandara
receiving the Cup Championship Trophy of the Club Rugby
Sevens from Dialog Axiata Head of Business Chirantha de
Zoysa watched by SL RFU President Asanga Senevirtne after
they beat Havelocks by 14-12 in the final. Pictures by
Wasitha Patabendige |
It was a stupendous performance by the Up Country Lions who beat the
more fancied Havelocks to clinch their first major title in A Division
Rugby having entered the big league only last year.
It was Havelocks who opened scoring in the 4th minute when Lee Keegel
dashed through to score an unconverted try and Havelocks led 5-0. In the
8th minute Up Country Lions snatched the lead when Nigel Ratwatte burst
through to score near the corner flag. Srinath Sooriyabandara made a
splendid conversion and the Up Country Lions led 7-5 at half time.
In the 5th minute after resumption Havelocks grabbed the lead when
Sudarshan Muthuthantri crashed through for a try by the corner flag.
Mithun Hapugoda made a spectacular conversion and Havelocks led 12-7.
Then in the last minute of the game Up Country Lions Nigel Ratwatte
made a powerful run brushing aside several defenders to fall over under
the posts for a splendid try and Srinath Sooriyabandara added the extra
points to give Up Country Lions a glorious 14-12 win to the delight of
his team-mates.
Dimithri Gunasekara refereed:
In the semi-finals Up Country Lions beat Kandy Sports Club 7-0 while
Havelocks crushed CH and FC A by 41-0.
CR and FC bagged the Plate Championship with a runaway 38 points
(four goals, two tries) to nil win over Police A in the final Lasintha
de Costa (three), Wiswamithra Jayasinghe (two), Rishan Premageeth (one)
and Piyum Jayasinghe (one) scored the tries for CR and FC with Mushin
Faleel and Kanvindu Costa making the conversions. Kandy Sports Club B
took the Bowl Championship with an easy 24 points (two goals, two tries)
to nil win over Air Force B in the final after leading 7-0 at half
time.
CR and FC B won the Shield Championship with a 19 points (two
goals, one try) to 12 (one goal, one try) win over Army B in the
final. |
