ARFU to meet on new format Asian rugby

By Harry Jayachandra

The Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU) was scheduled to meet late last evening to decide on the dates for the first ever Asian Five Nations Championships. This follows the move to scrap the Rugby Asiad. More importantly the ARFU will also finalize the dates for the Division One and Two championships.

Sri Lanka will be informed of the dates for the Division one Championship either later today or tomorrow. The Caltex powered domestic league tournament and the knockout tournament will be planned accordingly so that it does not clash with Sri Lanka’s international calendar.

The Sri Lankan team finished runners up at the last ever Asiad. As such the players were felicitated at a function organized by the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) held recently. The SLRFU also set the benchmark for other sports bodies by honouring Lake House journalist Lal Gunasekera for contribution towards the promotion and development of rugby in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka’s club rugby season per se will begin in just under two weeks time with a sevens circuit. President of the SLRFU Nimal Lewke speaking to The Sunday Times said: “As you see, once again Sri Lanka has been invited for the Hong Kong Sevens which will take place in the last weekend of March. With this in mind, we will have the first sevens tournament in Kandy and the third in Colombo.

The first one will take place in February, while Colombo will play host in March. We are looking at having a second tournament either in Nuwara Eliya, Radella or Matale. But that will depend on the infrastructure available. If the proper facilities are not there we will not conduct a tournament.” Lewke added: “The most important aspect of these sevens tournament is that the team for the Hong Kong Sevens will be selected and it’s the performances in these tournaments that will count towards selection. Unlike in previous years there will be no trials”.