Sri Lanka Sevens and Fifteens squads named

The Sri Lanka national rugby selectors headed by Michael Jayasekera selected the preliminary pool for the Sevens and Fifteens Asian tournaments this year.

The Sri Lanka Sevens squad will take part in the Borneo Sevens in Malaysia in early March and later on represent the country at the Hong Kong Sevens in April this year. Kandy’s star player Dhanushka Ranjan is tipped to lead the side. Meanwhile, the Fifteens outfit will take part in the Asian Rugby Championship Division I in Malaysia during April.

The three-leg event of the Asian Sevens 2017 will take place in Hong Kong, South Korea and Sri Lanka.  The only surprise is the selection of Sandun Herath (Havelocks) and Jason Dissanayake (Kandy). Herath did not play due to injury while Dissanayake was not allowed to play by CR&FC who did not give him a release letter to represent Kandy. Dulaj Perera, although named in both squads, is nursing a knee injury and looks a doubtful starter for the Borneo leg.

Sri Lanka Sevens squad: Danushka Ranjan, Fazil Marija, Kanchana Ramanayaka, Jason Dissanayake, Roshan Weeraratna, Suyuru  Anthony, Richard Dharmapala, Srinath Sooriyabandara, Viswamithra Jaysinghe, Danushka Dyan, Nigel Ratwatte, Gayan Weeraratne, Anuruddha Wilwara, Shehan Pathirana, Lavanga Perera and  Buwanaka Udangamuwa (all from Kandy SC), Kavindu Perera, Omalka Gunaratne, Tharinda Ratwatte, Sashan Mohammed, Anuradha Herath and Kavidu De Costa (all from CR&FC), Sadun Herath, Sudharshana Muthuthantri, Kevin Dixon, Hirantha Perera, Nishon Perera, Rohan Thaygarajah, Mithun Hapugoda, Dulaj Perera, Chamara Dabare, Ganidu Lakshan (all from Havelocks), Lee Keegal, Saliya Handapangoda, Thilina Weerasinghe, Dinusha Chaturanga, Buddhima Piyaratne, Chanaka Chandimal, Richie Dharmapala (all from Navy), Iranga Ariyapala (Army), Riza Rafaideen (Police)

Sri Lanka Fifteen-a-side squad: Ganuka Dissanayaka, Shehan Dimithri, Gayan Ratnayake, Sayuru Anthony, Shehan Pathirana, Buwanaka Udangamuwa, Roshan Weeraratna, Srinath Sooriyabandara, Arshad Jamaldeen, Fazil Marija, Danushka Ranajan, Kanchana Ramanayake, Richard Dharmapala, Lavanga Perera, Vishwamithra Jayasinghe, Danushka Dyan, Jason Dissanayaka,

Nigel Ratwatte, Gayan Weeraratne, Anuruddha Wilwara, and Thilina Wijesinghe (all from Kandy), Kavindu De Costa, Shane Samaddaperuma, Tariq Salih, Tharinda Ratwatte, Banuka Nanayakkara, Shashan Mohamed, Kavindu Perera, Prince Chamara, Omalka Gunaratne, Anuradha Herath, Charana Sandanayaka, Gayan Jayamanna and Riza Mubarak (all from CR&FC), Sudharshan Muthuthanthri, Sharo Fernando, Ganindu Lakshan, Lasindu Karunathilaka, Sudam Suriyaarachchi, Jason Melder, Dushmantha Priyadarshana, Prasad Madushanka, Dulaj Perera, Niroshan Fernando, Hirantha Perera, Nishon Perera, Rohan Thaygarajah, Chamara Dabare, Ashan Darling and Kevin Dixon (all from Havelocks)

Danushka Perera, Supun Peiris, Nivanka Prasad, Sajith Saranga, Sathya Ranatunga, Stephan Gregory, Dulanjala Wijesinghe, Chanaka Chandimal, Richie Dharmapala, Lee Keegal, Dinusha Chaturanga, Buddima Piyaratne, Thilina Weerasinghe, Lahiru Lakshan and Saliya Handapangoda (all from Navy), Musheen Faleel, Joel Perera, Radeesha Seneviratne, Achala Perera, Charls Praveen, Wajid Fawmy, and Riza Rafaideen (all from Police), Iranga Ariyapala, Ashan Bandara, Manoj De Silva, Rosan Sampath and Ashoka Jayalal (all from Army), Charitha Senavirathne, Ashok Wijeyakumar, Tharaka Warella and Thilina Bandara (all from Air Force) (SJ)