Sri Lanka makes Hong Kong Sevens return
Sri Lanka has earned itself a spot at the Hong Kong 7s after the International Rugby Board (IRB) gave ear to pleas from the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) and decided, on Friday, to include a third Asian team in the world’s preeminent sevens competition when it kicks off in March, an SLRFU official stated.
“This has come about through Asanga (Seneviratne, SLRFU President) pushing our game and trying to get us noticed,” SLRFU Secretary Rizly Ilyas stated.
Initially only two teams from Asia were eligible for qualification for the 2014 Hong Kong Sevens but after representations made by the SLRFU to the IRB and the Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU), the matter was taken up and a positive response was received by the SLRFU yesterday, Ilyas asserted.
Fazil Marija and his men will be featured at the Hong Kong 7s after nearly a decade. - FIle pic
Seneviratne, who was recently appointed Secretary General of ARFU, described the development as a major achievement by the players and administration which would put Sri Lankan rugby on the right track.
“It is imperative we push Asian rugby on to the world stage and give them (players) an opportunity to participate in more international tournaments around the world. We have three Asian tournaments in Hong Kong, Dubai and Japan in the world sevens circuit and only one other Asian team participates in the other two tournaments. We are pushing for two in the other tournaments for 2014 and will hopefully be able to push for three from 2015,” Seneviratne said.
The last time Sri Lanka competed at the tournament was in 2004 when six other teams from Asia were invited to participate and world rankings were not the only criteria for inclusion in world 7s tournaments.
This year, under the leadership of Fazil Marija, Sri Lanka finished third in the Asian 7′s ranking tournaments, the highest position they have ever reached in the history of Sri Lankan rugby, Ilyas pointed out. In the process, the Lankans secured automatic qualification by knocking aside Asian heavyweights such as Korea, Taiwan and Malaysia.
Ilyas added that the IRB and ARFU have both previously complimented Sri Lanka at their respective AGMs on the successful organisation of the recent Dailog Serendib Tri Nation Series.
This was a first for world rugby and the governing body is now placing countries according to divisions and is hoping to encourage and help teams play each other accordingly and not just in their continent, Ilyas explained.
The Secretary went on to say that Sri Lankan rugby has moved from strength to strength during the last two years and the investment made in players, coaches and tournaments was now bearing dividends.
“The recent change of timing made to the Dialog League for the club championship is already proving a great success with rugby now played in conditions more suited to the game. The weather from November to March is around 16 to 25 degrees in comparison to April to September, which is around 25 to 34 degrees. The quality of matches has seen a marked improvement and the injury count is much lower,” Ilyas said.
“The rugby calendar for 2014/15 is going to be exciting and filled with world class action with the HK 7s, Asian 5 Nations, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and the Carlton World 7′s taking centre stage and giving our players maximum exposure. The Carlton World 7′s has to be given full credit for our improvement in the 7′s game.”