Dialog Rugby League 2019/20 kicks off

 From left: Ranuka Medegedara, Air Force SC; Rohitha Rajapaksa, CH&FC; Mithun Hapugoda, Havelock SC; Richi Dharmapala, Navy SC;Manoj Bandara, Army SC; Naigel Ratwatte, Kandy SC; Chanaka Harischandra, Police SC; and Omalka Gunaratne, CR&FC

• Rugby heavyweights Navy SC vs. Havelock SC and CH & FC vs. Army SC clash this Friday 

Sri Lanka’s top eight rugby clubs, Kandy, CR&FC, CH&FC, Havelock’s SC, Police SC, Army SC, Navy SC and Air Force SC, will vie for the coveted Dialog Rugby League 2019/20 commencing on 29 November, as Navy SC will scrum down against a strong Havelock SC at Welisara, with kick-off at 3.45 pm onwards, while on the same day, one of Sri Lanka’s oldest rugby clubs, CH&FC will host Army SC at 4.00pm at the Race Course Rugby Stadium, Colombo. 

As introduced last year, in the 2018/19 season, aftermath of the round robin matches in round one and round two, a ‘Dialog Super Round’, which would include eight games over two weeks of intense play. The top four teams of ‘Dialog Super Round’ would then proceed to play for the Cup Championship, while the bottom four would fight it out for the Plate Championship. As last year, the teams ranked no 5 to 8 in 2018/19 Dialog Rugby League Police SC, Army SC, Navy SC and Air Force SC are permitted to play one foreign player each during the Dialog Rugby League 2019/20. 

Tournament points earned up to completion of the second round will be carried forwarded to the “Dialog Supper Round’. The teams ending up with the highest tournament points will be crowned as the Dialog Rugby League Cup Champions and the Dialog Rugby League Plate winners. 

This time, the Dialog Rugby League has introduced a special award “Most valuable player of the match”, awarded by Dialog ViU, Sri Lanka’s largest and No. 1 Entertainment Hub.

The 2018/19 season saw Kandy SC stamp their authority yet again as they beat favourites Havelock’s SC to retain the championship for a record 20 times and prestigious Clifford Cup Knockout Tournament for the sixth consecutive year.

This is Dialog’s eighth consecutive year in partnership with the Club League and Clifford Cup knockout competitions which see a passionate following among the young and old in Sri Lanka. Dialog Axiata is also the proud sponsor of the Sri Lankan National Cricket, Rugby, Volleyball and Netball teams. The Company has a close association with the President’s Gold Cup volleyball, National Junior and Senior Netball tourneys, Premier Football, Schools’ Cricket, and Paralympic sports - by powering the Army Para Games, National Para Games and the Sri Lankan contingent to the Olympic and World Paralympic Games. 

Dialog Axiata also has a proud association with the Carlton Super 7s and the Sri Lanka Super 7s, which saw eight men’s and women’s franchise teams fight it out for the top prize. 

During the season, selected matches can be watched live on Dialog Television, Dialog ViU and MyTV via mobile and on www.thepapare.com