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Sunday Sep 22, 2024
Wednesday, 13 May 2020 00:09 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Shamseer Jaleel
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Sri Lanka Rugby President Lasitha Gunaratne
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The Asia Rugby (AR) Executive Committee will meet on 15 May to decide the future programs and tournaments in the region, Daily FT has learned. This was disclosed to Daily FT by Sri Lanka Rugby President Lasitha Gunaratne.
“We [Sri Lanka] have been awarded with the Asia Rugby Sevens third leg, Asia Rugby Top Four in the Under 19 segment and Asia Rugby Division 1 XV-a-side events, to be hosted in the country in the latter part of the year,” added Gunaratne. “Originally the Sevens had been scheduled for mid-September, and the Junior event in December. The XV-a-side event which was originally scheduled to be played in April could be pushed back to latter part of December or January 2021.
“We need government and health authority approval as this is a crowd puller and a contact game. I think things will fall in to place with the schools scheduled to be re-opened in June. With the Advanced Level examinations scheduled to be held in August and unlikely to be pushed back, our only hope is that the Schools’ league and knockout tournament will take place from September onwards. These tournaments will require around 10 weeks to complete. The League will require eight more weeks with the knockout tournament a further two weeks. This will give time for the selections of the junior outfit in the Kandy vs Colombo encounter before the four teams’ Junior Asian top four event takes place in Colombo.”
Speaking further the former 1988 Royal College skipper said: “If all clubs agree we can work out the Clifford Cup knock out which we could not organise due to the health situation in the country during March 2020. This event can now take place before the 2020/2021 league commencement.
“Clubs also faced with financial issues regarding the payment of players, and even their sponsors too, are in a tight situation at present. We will need the green light from the majority of the eight clubs to work this off.”
Lasitha concluded saying: “Playing rugby to empty stands will not be suitable as the sponsors and players will miss out on the mileage. Even the Super Rugby in New Zealand among the five teams will kick off next month with the situation under control over there. Here too things will settle and we will be able get back to normal life in the near future. Already the Sports Ministry has given approval for training of players starting from June. This will be a good yard stick for them to get back to ideal shape before the commencement of the tournaments.”
Asia Rugby Division 1 (1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3)
Sri Lanka, Singapore, Philippines and UAE
Asia Rugby Sevens Series (original schedule)
8 top Asian teams each (Men’s and Women’s)
