Sri Lankan lasses set to face Malaysia in playoff semis
Sri Lanka women will be ready for today’s decisive clash in the 12-team Asia Rugby Emirates Women’s 7s Series 2025 after a challenging opening day at the Racecourse ground in Colombo yesterday. Led by Randika Kumudumali, the Sri Lankan women faced tough competition in Pool ‘F’, losing their first match 0-43 to Thailand, followed by a 0-31 defeat to Hong Kong China, before narrowly losing 12-22 to Singapore in their final group game.
Despite the heavy losses in the first two matches, Sri Lanka showed moments of strong teamwork, disciplined defence, and flashes of attacking skill in their final game against Singapore, suggesting they have the capability to challenge their next opponents. Today’s clash against Malaysia in the 9th Place semi-final at 10:22am offers a chance for the hosts to bounce back and secure a morale-boosting win in front of their home supporters, after the first semi-final between Philippines and Indonesia at 10:00am.
Sri Lanka women suffered three back-to-back defeats despite being spirited in their performance - Pic by Priyanka Samaraweera
The Pool ‘F’ was dominated by Thailand and Singapore, who claimed top positions with decisive wins, while Sri Lanka and Hong Kong China struggled to maintain consistent form. The Sri Lankan women, however, impressed, showed that experience and cohesion could yet turn the tide in the knockout stages. Coach Asela Deshapriya praised the team’s effort, noting that the players learned valuable lessons from each match and are motivated to finish the home leg strongly.
Elsewhere in Pool ‘D’, Japan dominated with large victories over Indonesia (73-0), UAE (69-0), and India (43-0), finishing the day unbeaten and showing why they are favourites for the Cup. India, despite an early setback, recovered with a 17-7 win over UAE and a strong 52-0 victory over Indonesia to secure second place in the pool.
In Pool ‘E’, China impressed with wins against the Philippines (46-0), Malaysia (31-14), and Kazakhstan (22-0), finishing the day unbeaten. The Philippines managed a narrow 12-10 win over Malaysia, while Kazakhstan had earlier defeated Malaysia 22-10, rounding out the competitive battles in the pool stage.
Today, the Cup semi-finals are set with Japan facing Hong Kong China at 12:56pm and Thailand taking on China at 1:18pm. The 5th Place semi-finals will see India play Singapore at 10:44am and UAE face Kazakhstan at 11:06am.