Star studded Link Natural claim 53rd Mercantile 7s title
The final, watched by a large crowd, was played at a fast pace from the very first whistle. Link Natural, packed with national players, displayed their strength, speed, and teamwork to secure the trophy. They led 14-7 at half time and added three more tries in the second half to seal the title in style.
Pic by Eshan Fernando
Captain Srinath Sooriyabandara gave Link Natural the perfect start. In the opening minute, he broke through the Pearl Beach defence to score the first try, before adding the conversion himself to make it 7-0. Pearl Beach responded strongly when Heshan Jansen of Link Natural was shown a yellow card. Playing with a one-man advantage, Pearl Beach earned a penalty try through Avantha Lee, levelling the scores at 7-all in the third minute.
But Link Natural hit back almost immediately. Sri Lanka 7s captain Kavindu Perera dived over under the posts after a quick attacking move. Winger Dinal Ekanayake added the extras to restore the lead at 14-7 by the fifth minute. The score remained unchanged at the interval.
After the break, Link Natural tightened their grip. Winger Ekanayake showed great finishing skills on the right wing, touching down for their third try. Although the conversion was missed, the champions stretched their advantage to 19-7 in the 10th minute. The pressure continued as Janidu Dilshan sliced through the defence with a superb inside run, scoring near the posts. Ekanayake converted, extending the lead to 26-7.
Speedster Muthunayake then joined the scoresheet with a well-taken try, making it 31-7. Pearl Beach grabbed a late consolation try with a conversion, reducing the deficit to 14-31 before the final whistle.
Link Natural’s squad included some of the top names in Sri Lanka rugby – Tarinda Ratwatte, Naveen Marasinghe and Chathura Soysa – all of whom combined their skills and experience to guide the team to victory. The win highlighted the depth and quality of their side.
The Plate Championship was claimed by John Keells Holdings, who beat Citizens Development Bank (CDB) 26-10 after leading 14-5 at half time. JKH scored from four tries and three conversions, while CDB crossed twice.
The Shield Championship went to MAS Holdings, who overcame Commercial Credit by 30-14, scoring from six unconverted tries. Commercial Credit replied with two converted tries. In the Bowl Final, Seylan Bank crushed Ceylinco Insurance by 33-0, running in five tries with four successful conversions.