Asian Sevens 2017: Sri Lanka to face Japan in opener

Men’s Sevens team – Photo credit: The Papare.com

Women’s Sevens team

By Shamseer Jaleel

The Sri Lanka rugby outfit under Sudharshana Muthuthanthri left the island last night to South Korea to play in the second leg of the Asian Sevens 2017 at Namdong Rugby Stadium in South Korea on 23 and 24 September.

Sri Lanka was placed fifth in the opening leg in Hong Kong where four youngsters made their Sevens debut. Coming back into the squad are two experienced players Dhanushka Ranjan and Chanaka Chandimal. Ranjan, one of the most feared players in the Asian Sevens circuit, led the outfit last year when Sri Lanka finished second to Hong Kong, the country’s best ranking to date in the shorter version of the game.

Sri Lanka will need to get the better of China if they are to book their semifinal berth. Taipei looks the target of the rest of the three teams in the group. A win against China and Taipei will see Sri Lanka booking a date against either South Korea or Hong Kong in the top four encounters.

If Sri Lanka finishes in the top two they will stand a chance to qualify for the Sevens Rugby World Cup 2018 in San Francisco provided they record a top two finish in the Colombo leg as well. If Sri Lanka misses out on top two this year they will lose out on the chance to qualify for the 2018 Hong Kong Sevens.

Ranjan, Sri Lanka’s most feared Sevens player, is at present returning from a shoulder injury. Speaking to the Daily FT, he said: “We need to beat China to finish in the top four. After getting into the semifinal, they will need to get the better of South Korea to finish a minimum of third position. We are missing some very good senior players but equally talented youngsters in the squad give the team a good morale boost before kick-off.” 

“We will need to go all out in the Colombo leg to finish on top in the series this year,” he added. Meanwhile, the women’s outfit, after faring well in the Borneo Sevens to claim the cup, will be hoping for a good run in the tournament. 

At present the Sri Lankan women’s outfit is placed fifth in Asia. Head Coach Sudath Sampath said: “We need to improve in our ranking and finish in the top three in this tournament. The first game against Hong Kong is vital to boost our confidence to finish on a positive side. Our preparation was great as we trained in Nuwara Eliya in a climate similar to that of South Korea, which is colder.”    

Sri Lanka men’s squad: Sudarshana Muthuthanthri (Captain), Naveen Henakankanamge, Tharinda Ratwatte, Danushka Dyan, Buddhima Piyarathna, Hirantha Perera, Chanaka Chandimal, Kevin Dixon, Dhanushka Ranjan, Sudam Sooriyaarachchi, Jason Dissanayake and Omalka Gunaratne.

Head Coach – Peter Woods (NZ)

Trainer - Nick Globe (NZ)

High Performance Director - Inthi Marikar

Team Manager - Rohan Chinthaka

Men’s

Group A – Japan, China, Sri Lanka and Taipei

Group B – Hong Kong, Malaysia, Philippines and South Korea

Matches day 1 Sri Lanka time

Against Japan 7.14 a.m.

Against China 11.32 a.m.

Against Taipei 2.28 p.m.        

Sri Lanka women’s squad: Randika Kumudini (Capt.), Ayesha Perera, Nadeeka Munasinghe, Dulani Palukondage, Theekshana Liyanage, Sanjeevani Wijethilake, Kumari Dilrukshi, Dasuni De Silva, Thanuja Weerakody, Wasani Weerakody, Ayesha Kaluarachchi and Anusha Attanayake.

Head Coach - Sudath Sampath

Women’s

Group C - Japan, Thailand, Singapore and Kazakhstan

Group D - China, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka and South Korea

Matches Day 1 Sri Lanka time

SL against China - 7.58 a.m.

SL against Hong Kong - 12.16 p.m.

SL against South Korea – 2.50 p.m.