Schools Under-16 fifteens to be worked off at racecourse grounds

Sri Lanka’s Under 18 team finished number 5 out of the 6 teams at the recently concluded Youth Commonwealth Games in Bahamas 

By Shamseer Jaleel

The racecourse rugby grounds will host the quarterfinal encounters of the Schools’ Under-16 fifteen-a-side rugby championship which will take place on 24, 25 and 28 August. 

The final will take place on 1 September. Lumbini MV, Science, Wesley, Isipathana, D.S. Senanayake, St. John’s, Trinity and Kingswood have already booked their berths. The last team will be one from Galle and will be selected shortly to complete the eight teams for the quarterfinals.  

Initially the eight teams for the quarterfinals were to be selected from Colombo (4), Kandy (2), Sabaragamuwa (1) and Galle (1). However, due to a draw following extra time in the game between D.S. and St. John’s, the organisers decided to increase the number of Western Province teams to five, which resulted in the Sabaragamuwa District winner playing in the Plate segment.

Meanwhile, the Under-18 Seven-a-side tournament which was won by Trinity College, who defeating St. Joseph’s College 22-12, will see the national selectors naming the Under-18 national outfit for next month’s tournament which will take place in Taipei on 9 and 10 September. The winner of this tournament will qualify for the Youth Commonwealth Games next year as the sole representative from the Asian region.