Dialog Schools Development 7s 2022 kicks off tomorrow

Dialog Axiata PLC Group Chief Marketing Officer Amali Nanayakkara hands over the sponsorship to SLSRFA President B.A. Abeyratne. Dialog Axiata PLC Senior General Manager, Brand and Media Harsha Samaranayake and SLSRFA General Secretary Nirodha Wijerama are also present

Dialog Axiata has partnered with Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association to conduct a 1st ever Under-14 development 7s tourney to expand the sport and attract talent beyond the boundaries of the traditional rugby playing schools.

The Dialog Schools Development 7s 2022 tourney with the participation of 40 U-14 school teams from six provinces will kick-off on 20 February at the Ruwanwella Rugby Grounds and on the 12 March at the Pallekelle Rugby Grounds from 8.30 a.m. onwards.

The game of rugby is heavily played and followed in Colombo and Kandy, however due to the lack of facilities and coaching staff deprived the game from reaching the rural peripheries of Sri Lanka. The Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association (SLSRFA) stated that conducting development tourneys are critical to assess the skill level and fitness of rural school teams and to provide the necessary training and development so that the sport will grow in those respective provinces.

The Dialog Schools Development 7s 2022 tourney will be played in accordance with the safety guidelines administered by the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Sports and the Ministry of Education. The players will be in a bio-secure environment overseen by their respective schools, with rapid antigen tests to be conducted at regular intervals.

The U-14 school teams that have confirmed their participation for the tournament on the 20th from the Western Province are, St. Joeseph’s College Kollonnawa, Defense Service College Colombo, Kulasingha Maha Vidyalaya, Omalpe Maha Vidyalaya and Jayawardhanapura Maha Vidyalaya. Schools in the Sabaragamuwa Province include, Kularathna Central College, Swarna Jayanthi Maha Vidyalaya, Bibilegama Maha Vidyalaya, Dorpana Maha Vidyalaya, Wimalasara Vidyalaya, Godawela Vidyalaya, Kiriporuwa Vidyalaya and Schools from Southern Province include Siridhamma College, Saralankara College, Udugama National School and Sri Siddhartha Maha Vidyalaya. 

SLSRFA President B.A. Abeyratne said: “Much of Sri Lanka’s rugby talent is lost due to rural schools not actively playing the game, especially in the 7s format where its physically less demanding than the league format.”

“The 7s game is all about speed and the rural schools in Sri Lanka have a tradition of producing international level track and field athletes that have performed exceptionally at the Asian games and world championships, hence we want to identify and tap into that talent,” he said. 

“A tournament of this magnitude will not be possible of not for the corporate backing of our sponsors Dialog Axiata and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for powering school’s rugby in Sri Lanka,” Abeyratne added.

Dialog Axiata is the proud sponsor of the Sri Lanka National Cricket, Volleyball and Netball teams. The company also has a close association with the President’s Gold Cup Volleyball, Junior Volleyball, National Junior and Senior Netball tourneys, Schools Rugby League, Knockout and Sevens tourneys, Premier Football and Paralympic sports - by powering the Army Para Games, National Para Games and the Sri Lankan contingent to the World Paralympic Games.