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After an immensely successful inaugural tournament last year the ICBT Inter-Campus Rugby 7s 2019 is set to kick-off once again. This year’s tournament expands on the previous year’s achievements and will involve 12 university rugby teams battling it out for the coveted interuniversity title.
The ICBT Inter-Campus Rugby 7s is intended to give students another dimension to their university education, by supplementing traditional education with the skills, values, and character that are essential for moulding a well-rounded, self-assured individual. With this view, the ICBT Inter-Campus Rugby 7s has been planned as an annual tournament and due to its immense popularity is set to become the flagship interuniversity rugby tournament in Sri Lanka.
This year’s event is estimated to attract over a thousand young spectators comprising students from both the private and state universities. The tournament has also garnered plenty of attention at the school level and also from the fraternity of rugby fans on the island.
In addition to the main event, there will also be plenty of other activates, including games and entertainment throughout the tournament. This will ensure that there is something exciting for everyone who come to support their favourite team, win or lose.
The 12 teams in the tournament will compete for three championships – Cup, Plate, and Bowl. The 12 teams will initially be divided into four groups which will battle it out in the group stages. The top two teams of each group will then progress to the Cup Quarter-Finals and the bottom team will progress to the Bowl Semi-Finals.
The losers of the Cup Quarter-Finals will progress to Plate Semi-Finals while winners move on to Cup Semi-Finals and eventually the Cup Finals. The tournament will be held according to World Rugby Regulations and will be officiated by referees from Sri Lanka Rugby, with winning teams receiving impressive cash prizes and the coveted trophy.
ICBT officials have appointed Dilroy Fernando, former referee and a distinguished stalwart of Sri Lankan rugby as the tournament director.
Fernando praised ICBT for taking this initiative and stressed on the fact that Sri Lanka is lacking tournaments of this kind. He also stressed that events such as these were essential if rugby was to grow as a sport so that we might be well represented and competitive on a world stage.