Sri Lanka take wing for Monaco sevens today

By Shamseer Jaleel

Sri Lanka rugby sevens outfit under Sudharshan Muthuthanthri will leave to Monaco today to participate at the Rio Olympic rugby sevens repecharge event which will take place on 18 and 19 June at the Stade Louis II Stadium in Monaco. 

In reality chances are very rare for Sri Lanka to win this event out of 15 very talented outfits with six of them being regular HSBC World Sevens Series representatives around the year who are in very good nick for this event.

Sri Lanka will be going for this event with a balanced approach with youth and experience, very likely to test the players for the Asian Seven Series 2016 which will take place in Hong Kong, South Korea and Sri Lanka starting in September this year. Sri Lankans will play Germany (SL time 3/36 pm), Canada (SL time 6/39 pm) and Uruguay (9/44 pm) on June 18 in the group events at Monaco and move forward for the knock out on day 2.

Fazil Marija recovered from injury will play a major part with his experience and exposure in Sevens rugby

Rugby Olympic fact-file

Rugby 15s was played at four Olympic Games: 1900, 1908, 1920 and 1924.

The following countries became Olympic Champions at rugby: France in 1900, Australia in 1908, USA in 1920 and 1924.

The following countries won medals in the Olympics rugby tournaments: France – three medals: one gold and two silvers, USA – two gold medals, Britain – one silver and one bronze, Australia – one gold medal, Germany – silver in 1900 and Romania – bronze in 1924.

This rapid growing sevens rugby was first recommended in 2001 from the Olympic Programme Commission to the IOC Session, that Rugby Sevens be included in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Later in 2005 London Olympic Games too it was revived and rugby was shortlisted for consideration in the Olympic Programme (2012), the IOC again decided not to introduce new sports and the goal of becoming an Olympic sport remained tantalizingly out of reach.

In 2009, IOC members voted overwhelmingly in favor of Rugby Sevens inclusion on the Olympic Games Sports Programme for 2016 and 2020, 81 votes in favor with only eight against. This historic achievement meant that the world’s top Men’s and Women’s Rugby players would now have the opportunity to compete for an Olympic Gold medal, the pinnacle of sporting achievement.

Sri Lanka Sevens squad

Sudarshana Muthuthanthri (Capt), Dhanushka Ranjan (Both from Havelocks SC)

Roshan Weeraratne, Fazil Marija, Danushka Dayan, Srinath Sooriyabandara, Richard Dharmapala, Sayuru Anthony (all from Kandy SC)

Kavindu Perera, Lochana Hettiarachchi, Jason Dissanayaka, Kanchana Ramanayaka (All from CR & FC)

Head Coach Matt Turner (England)