Rugby returns with sevens on 30 Oct. at Police Park

Police Park will host the Invitational Rugby Sevens on 30 and 31 Oct.

By Shamseer Jaleel

Rugby will return at last to Sri Lanka after a lay-off of nearly 20 months due to the pandemic around the globe. Sri Lanka Police will organise this event with the support of Sri Lanka Navy, Sri Lanka Air Force and Sri Lanka Army on 30 and 31 October at the Police Park. 

Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Army will field three teams each, while Sri Lanka Air Force and Sri Lanka Police will field two teams each. Both CH & FC and Havelock SC will field one team each, while Kandy SC and CR & FC have informed their inability to participate citing valid reasons.

The Ministry of Health and Ministry of Sports has given their green light for this event. This event will also be used as a yard stick for selections for the Asia Rugby (AR) sevens 2021, which will take place in UAE on 19 and 20 November. Earlier, as per schedule, AR was to offer the three legs to South Korea, China and Sri Lanka but due to the pandemic, this was reduced to one for 2021, which will also be used as a yard stick for the Asian Games 2022 selections.

The selected 12 teams will be divided in to four pools of three in each of them. The group leader and runner-up will move forward to the cup quarter-finals, while the last placed teams in each group will move forward to the bowl semi-finals. As the AR 2021 event will feature a women’s sevens event as well, this invitational tournament and its inclusion of a women’s event is ideal for the girls, who are without rugby for the last 20 months too, and many of them have not played the game at school level.

Soon after this tournament, a bio bubble is expected to be formed in order for the players to train for the AR sevens in UAE. They will be left with only two weeks preparation for the event.

The participating teams are Sri Lanka Navy SC (3), Sri Lanka Army (3), Sri Lanka Air Force (2), Sri Lanka Police (2), CH & FC and Havelock SC.