Sri Lanka, Asia's little-known rugby haven

By Mel Gunasekera

COLOMBO (AFP) - It's a long way from England, the cradle of rugby, but steamy, jungle-clad Sri Lanka is a little-known haven for the sport in Asia, with even school matches attracting TV audiences of millions.

In a country better known for its cricket, tea exports and bitter civil war, Sri Lanka has quietly nurtured a large playing population with an aspirational bent which makes rugby a daily feature on both the sport and society pages.