Oscar Ouma returns to former home ground of Nittawela

By Shamseer Jaleel

The Sri Lanka Super Rugby Sevens’ first leg will be worked off at the Nittawela rugby stadium in Kandy today and tomorrow. 

The Mobitel Eagles, who will be defending their title, will be led by former Kingswood and Sri Lanka Sevens skipper Roshan Weeraratne. It will be an emotional moment for former Kenyan Sevens player and Kandy flanker Oscar Ouma when he returns to his former club grounds of Nittawela when he represents the Walkers CML Vipers today.

Kandy rugby lovers will be entertained by some thrilling rugby from world-class players from Samoa, Fiji, South Africa and Kenya as well as local talent.

Sevens rugby returns to the hill capital after a decade during which the Kandy Sports Club conducted the Singer Sri Lankan Rugby Sevens from 1999 to 2007, which included 16 teams.

Defending champions Mobitel Eagles will be led by Roshan Weeraratne with some class Fijians in their line-up. Players such as Semi Nakaira, Nasoni Tulgaloa, Sevulation and Joseva Bilo Azll, who have played in the World Rugby Sevens, will offer a treat for local spectators.

The Access Kings will be led by former Antonian, Kandy SC and Sri Lanka Sevens player Danushka Dyan. The team will include Jone Vota, Josua Vici, Atunaisia Abelte and Setefano Cakounivalu. Vota is a Fijian national Sevens player representing Navy and playing for the Western Warriors at the Carlton Rugby Sevens. Setefano is well-known in the Fiji national Sevens outfit, having been a part of it for over a decade. He has also represented Navy.

The Cargills Gladiators will be led by former Science College and Sri Lanka Sevens player Richard Dharmapala. They have Semi Naaira, Nasoni Tulgaloa and Sevuloni Natundregradrega in their team. All of these players have played in the Fiji Sevens outfit.

Sri Lanka’s Sevens skipper Dhanushka Ranjan will lead the Walkers outfit. They will have an overseas player who is no stranger to Kandy and the Nittawela crowd in Oscar Ouma, who once represented the upcountry outfit. They have another two African players in Samuel Joseph and Cypria Kimngetich within their outfit.

 The Etisalat Panthers will be led by Kandy’s favourite player Fazil Marija and will have the services of Samuela, Sevuloni, Serupepell and Emosi, all of whom are Pacific Islanders who have represented the Fijian outfit. The Ezy Wolves will be led by former Thomian and Sevens skipper Sudarshana Muthuthanthri. They too will bank on African players Andrew, Nelson, Billy and Dennis who are all from Kenya. KBSL will be led by Thilina Weerasinghe who represented the Navy outfit, one of the best placekickers in the club arena. They will bank on South African Sevens players Danie, Tyshan and Joel to deliver the goods. The Softlogic Warriors will be led by Jason Dissanayake and will have Samoan players such as Luke, Ed Fidow and Otto.

There will also be a Women’s Sevens tournament in addition to the eight schools battling it out at the Under-18 level.

St. Anthony’s College, Dharmaraja College, Trinity College, Kingswood College, St. Peter’s College, Isipathana College, Science College and St. Joseph’s College will take centre stage.

Pool A

Walkers CML Vipers, EZY Wolves, Etisalat Panthers and Cargills Gladiators

Pool B

Access Kings, KBSL Dragons, Softlogic Warriors and Mobitel Eagles

Schools

Pool A: Isipathana College, Dharmaraja College, St. Joseph’s College and St. Peter’s College

Pool B: St. Anthony’s College, Trinity College, Science College and Kingswood College

Women’s

Pool A: Army SC and Navy SC

Pool B: Air Force SC and 

CR & FC