Plantation Rugby Sevens more competitive with SLR support

Dikoya Maskeliya Cricket Club DMCC will once again play the role of host at the 20^th edition of the ‘Plantation Rugby Sevens’ which will be played at Darawela on April 8.

As many as 12 teams will vie for glory at this planters’ sporting event which will be sanctioned by Sri Lanka Rugby.

Manjula Samarkoon, the convener of the tournament said that DMCC was eager and happy to revive and take forward this traditional event after a three year break for the corona pandemic.

 ”The planting clubs have produced some national players in the past and this shows how skilled and keen these planters are in pursuing the sport of rugby union. Of course during the recent past planters, despite having the skills, haven’t made it to the national pool because work commitment hasn’t allowed them to train as hard as they wish to’ said Samarakoon a past rugby player who represented  Ananda College.

SLR President Rizly Illyas said that he was elated that the plantation sevens was happening after three year hiatus. He added that it’s important that participation is maximum at any tournament sanctioned by SLR; given that the controlling body for rugby in Sri Lanka is focused on having a hand in earmarked important seven-a-side rugby tournaments that meet IRB standards. ‘I sincerely believe that there would be good rugby up for grabs and I wish the tournament all success,” said Illyas.

The tournament is sponsored by Lak Govijana Fertilizers Pvt LTD which has pumped in Rs 3.5 million for the tournament. Sri Lanka Rugby's main sponsor Nippon Paints presented DMCC with a generous quota of paint to mark the occasion. The 12 teams participating are Thalawakelle, Kelaney Valley, Elpitiya, Hatton, Bogawanthalawa, Mathurata, Malwatte Valley, Balangoda, Maskeliya, Kotagala – Aagarapathana, Kegalle – Namunukula and Sri Lanka State Plantations. The winners will be awarded the Colombia Trophy.

Manjula Samarakoon (Convenor of Plantation Rugby Sevens/third from left) is seen at a sponsorship presenting ceremony connected with the ‘Plantations Rugby Sevens and held at City Hotel in Colombo on March 31. Also in the picture are from left; Migara Meegahakumbura Senior Sales Manager Lak Govijana Fertilizers Pvt LTD, BalaChanmugam Chairman Lak Govijana Fertlizers Pvt LTD, Robin Winter Committee Member DMCC and Ravindra Saranasuriya DMCC Secretary.