Kandy leg of selection game on 12 Oct.

Asia Rugby Championship Under-19 in Taipei

By Shamseer Jaleel

The Sri Lanka rugby team’s preparation for the Asia Rugby Championship Under-19 tournament in Taipei will kick off on 12 October when the Colombo and Kandy outfits lock horns in the first leg at the Nittawela Rugby Stadium.

The kick-off is scheduled at 3.45 p.m.

Defending champions Hong Kong, South Korea, Sri Lanka, and Taipei (hosts) will lock horns with each other in a group format with the winners booking their berth for the Junior World Rugby Tournament (JWRT) 2019 as the Asian representative in the Division I encounter.

The Kandy outfit will be coached by Sumeda Malawana, the former Navy and Vidayartha Head Coach, with Kingswood Head Coach Gamage assisting him, while the Colombo outfit will be coached by Royal Head Coach Sanath Martis with Mohamed Mushtaq assisting him. The second leg will be played in Colombo one week later. Kandy will be led by the lanky second rower from St. Anthony’s and last year’s national youth player Mohamed Shabeer, who played under Naveen Henakankanamge in the home and away games against defending champions Hong Kong.

Prop forwards

Pavindra Wijethilake (Trinity), Rashmika Chandraratne (Kingswood), Malitha Wijesundera, Kelum Madushan (both from Maliyadeva) and Tharinda Ratnayake (Vidyartha)

Hookers

M. S. Weerasinghe and T. Dilshan (both from Kingswood)

2nd row

K. M. Bandara, J. Vikumsara (both Sri Sumangala), Ruwan Amarasinghe and Mohamed Shabbir (Capt.) (both from St. Anthony’s)

Flankers

M. Amarasinghe (St. Anthony’s), H. Dhananjaya (Maliyadeva) and Iroshan Kavinda (Vidyartha)

Number 8

Kavishka Bandara (Vidyartha), Tharindu Weligampola and Janitha Ratnayake (both from Kingswood)

Scrum-half

Inod Sasika (Vidyartha), Tuan Sohail (St. Anthony’s) and Hirusha Sampath (Kingswood)

Fly-half

Ishara Herath (Maliyadeva), S. Hettiarachchi (Vidyartha) and Randika Pathirana (St. Sylvester’s)

Centres

Naveen Devadasan (Trinity), L. Daulagala (Malyadeva), K. Jayasooriya and Ishara Liyanaga (both from St. Anthony’s)

Wingers

Vishwa Ranaraja (Trinity) and Sathsara Weligampitiya (Vidyartha)

Fullback

Avishka Sheik (Trinity) and Dilshara Kodagoda (Vidyartha)

Forwards

Daiyan Sabar (Wesley), Maleesha Madumewan, Fadhil Adhan and Ifham Fareed (all from Royal), Christian De Lile (S. Thomas’), Tharindu De Alwis (St. Joseph’s), Tharindu Hasith (Wesley), Adeesha Handunpathirana (S. Thomas’), Javidu Fernando (St. Peter’s), Harith Senanayake (S. Thomas’), Julian Charles (St. Peter’s), Ravindu Anjula (Isipathana), Shevon Gregory (St. Joseph’s), Abdullah Faiz (St. Peter’s), Thuwan Zamil (Lumbini), Shehan Eranda (St. Joseph’s), Hiamantha Hirushan (Royal), Shamika Milinda (Science) and Lakshan Uduwana (St. Peter’s)

Backs

Gamunu Chethiya (St. Joseph’s), Nikhil De Silva, Shabith Feroze (both from Royal), Shan Akila (St. Joseph’s), Kavinda Keshan (St. Joseph’s), Kenneth Wimaladasa (St. Peter’s), Rukshan Madhushanka (St. Peter’s), Jason Karunarathna (St. Peter’s), Risith Fernando (Royal), Mubeen Faleel (Royal), Shenol Shenuka (St. Peter’s), Kalindu Nandila (Royal) and Janidu Dilshan (Royal)