Record 84 teams for Dialog Schools Rugby League

(From left): Kamal Ariyasinghe (President SLSRFA), Susil Premajayantha (Minister of Education), Lasantha Theverapperuma (Group Chief Marketing Officer, Dialog Axiata PLC) and Harin Fernando (Minister of Sports)

By M. Shamil Amit

The much looked-forward to schools rugby tournament - the Dialog Schools Rugby League - was launched at a ceremony held at the Duncan White Auditorium of the Ministry of Sports in Colombo on Wednesday. 

The tournament, conducted by the Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association (SLSRFA), will see a record 84 teams from three divisions in the fray vying for supremacy to lay their hands on the title.

The tournament will usher with the Division One Segment ‘A’ clash between St. Joseph’s and Vidyartha at Havelock Park on June 14.

The tournament will see 16 teams divided into two groups in action in the Division One Segment ‘A’ and joining the group with the 14 teams that played last season are Thurstan and Sri Sumangala, Kandy - who were promoted - after the conclusion of the schools rugby season last year.

Defending champions St. Peter’s along with Royal, Zahira, St. Joseph’s, Vidyartha, Wesley, Kingswood and Thurstan are in Group 2A while runners-up Isipathana along with St. Anthony’s Katugastota, D. S. Senanayake, Colombo, Trinity, S. Thomas’, Dharmaraja, Science College and debutants Sri Sumangala are in Group 1A.

26 teams will be in action in the Division I Segment ‘B’ and ‘C’ Tournaments which will be conducted concurrently with Segment ‘B’ comprising 14 teams - divided into two groups of seven teams and Segment ‘C’ having 12 teams - divided into two groups.

Mahanama, Colombo along with Lumbini MV, Maliyadeva, St. Benedict’s, Carey, Sri Rahula, Katugastota and St. John’s, Nugegoda are the seven teams in Division 1B while Prince of Wales, Piliyandala Central, St. Sylvester’s, Ananda, St. Aloysius’, Galle, Sri Sumangala, Panadura and Richmond are the teams in 2B of Segment ‘B’.

The Group 1C teams consist of Lalith Athulathmudali College, Dharmapala, Pannipitiya, Devapathiraja, Rathgama, C. W. W. Kannangara MMV, Ibbagamuwa Central and St. Anne’s, Kurunegala while 2B consists of Nalanda, Colombo, Siri Piyarathana MMV, Padukka, Moratu MV, Bandaranayake College, Gampaha, Royal Panadura and Nugawela Central.

A further 42 teams will be in action comprising 12 teams in the Division 2 and 30 teams in the Division 3 will be in action and these divisions will be played concurrently.

All Captains of the Division One Tournament with the Dialog Trophy (Pix by Waruna Wanniarachchi)