Asia Rugby Sevens 2019: First leg in South Korea Danushka leads Sri Lanka

By Shamseer Jaleel

Former Antonian and Kandy SC player Danushka Dyan will lead the Sri Lanka Sevens rugby outfit at the Asia Rugby Sevens 2019 first leg in South Korea. This event will take place at the Namdong Asiad Stadium on 30 August and 1 September.

Thilina Wijesinghe, Janidu Dilshan, Sachith Silva and Sudaraka Dikkumbura will be making their sevens debut at this event in South Korea. Janidu who represented the junior national team had done really well to earn his place in the senior outfit. Thilina being a match winner for Kandy SC over last couple of years is a good team player plus kicker. He was the player of the final at the recently concluded Mercantile Rugby Sevens 2019. Sachith (Police) Sudaraka (Army) too did well to be in the squad.

Others in the squad are the seniors and experienced workhorses, Srinath Sooriyabandara and Jason Dissanayaka along with Anuradha Herath. Herath returns after his injury which kept him out of most part of the Clifford Cup 2019 and the tour with the XV-a-side team for the Asia Rugby Championship Division 1 in Taipei. Reaz Rafaideen, Nishon Perera and skipper Dyan’s experience in the shorter version of the game in Asian circuit will help the national outfit for a good start in the three leg event.

Touring squad

Danushka Dyan (Captain), Srinath Sooriyabandara, Jason Dissanayake, Thilina Wijesinghe (all from Kandy SC), Sachith Silva (Police SC), Sudaraka Dikkumbura (Army SC), Kevin Dixon, Reza Rafaideen, Janidu Dilshan and Dinuk Amarasinghe (CR & FC), Nishon Perera and Anuradha Herath (both CH & FC).

Head Coach Matt Lee (NZ) and Assistant Coaching staff Mohamed Mushtaq and Saliya Kumara.

Men’s

• Pool A – Japan, Sri Lanka, China, UAE
• Pool B – Hong Kong, Taipei, South Korea, Philippines

Women’s

• Pool C – Japan, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Malaysia
• Pool D – China, Singapore, Thailand, Kazakhstan