A total of 16 teams have finally confirmed their participation at the inaugural Centenary International under-20 seven-a-side rugby tournament organised by St.Peter’s College, Colombo which will be worked-off on October14 and 15 at their home ground in Bambalapitiya.
This event will also feature some of the prominent overseas teams with eminent players knocking doors in donning their national jersey. Two teams from United Arab Emirates, equal number from Australia and one each from Malaysia and Bahrain will lock horns while ten schools teams competed in the domestic tournament will be in fray for honours.
St.Peters College, Bambalapitiya which is Celebrating their centenary year after it was inaugurated way back in 1922, one of the pioneer institutions in the country, which has played a pivotal role both in education and sports, has opted to host this Rugby tournament enabling the local players to gain an opportunity to compete with some of the best players in the game.
These 16 teams are slated in four groups with four teams in a group. The top two teams of each group will qualify for Cup and Bowl championship while the third placed team will scrum down in plate for supremacy where matches will be competed in compliance with international standards.
The other unique feature of this tournament will be the participation of the four foreign referees from U.S.A., Australia, Qatar and Malayia with the support of three from the local governing body.
This event has got the blessings of the Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association and the Education Ministry. The lads who have played in the recently concluded inter school Rugby tournament will have an ideal opportunity to showcase their performance at an international event when the game has just relaxed from suspension by the World Rugby.
D.S. Senanayake, Royal, Thurstan and Sri Sumangala (promoted to top tier), Vidyartha, Wesley, Zahira and hosts St.Peter’s were intitally darted in while Lumbini College has been added as the ninth team while Dharmaraja College Kandy is likely to fill in the tenth position as local teams.
The University of Technology Sydney and Gordon RFC from Australia and Bahrain RFC and Negeri Sembilan Rugby in Malaysia while two teams from Dubai College be in action as foreign teams.
Three groups games will be played on day one from 9 a.m. and the remaining group games will be staged on the final day. The Cup, Bowl and the Plate championship will be played where the final of the Cup championship is to be played at 5 p.m. The organizers have decided to award a special trophy to the Most Valuable Player in addition to some other give aways. They have also decided to open the gates free of charge which is likely to attract a fully packed stadium.
The Draw as follows:
Group-A St.Peters, UTA Australia, Zahira & Thurstan
Group-B Royal, Lumbini, Gordon RFC & Dubai College ‘B’
Group-C Vidyartha, Sri Sumangala, Negeri Sembilan Rugby & Bahrain RFC
Group-D D.S. Senanayake, Wesley, University of Technology Sydney & Dubai College ‘A’
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