First leg of Club Sevens to kick off Saturday at Longdon Place

Men’s Sevens Captains

From left: Sri Lanka Rugby Deputy President Shanitha Fernando, President Pavithra Fernando, UnionPay International Head of South Asia Binghan Hu, Country Manager Sri Lanka and Maldives Crispin Wijesekera, and Sri Lanka Rugby CEO Hassan Sinhawansa

Women’s Sevens Captains from Air Force, Navy and Army

By Shamseer Jaleel

The return of club Rugby Sevens to Sri Lanka after a four-year hiatus marks an exciting new chapter for the sport, with the announcement of the BogoLiv - UnionPay International Sri Lanka Rugby Sevens Series 2026.

The first leg will take place on 21 and 22 March at Longdon Place, while the second leg will be held a week later at Race Course Ground on 28 and 29 March.

The tournament signals the revival of competitive sevens rugby in the country and is expected to bring renewed enthusiasm among players, clubs, and supporters across Sri Lanka.

The event is backed by two major title sponsors, BogoLiv and UnionPay International. BogoLiv, a rapidly growing digital lifestyle platform, provides services across dining, retail shopping, travel, and wellness, while UnionPay International is one of the world’s fastest-expanding global payment networks, operating across more than 180 countries and regions.

This year’s competition will feature leading Sri Lankan club teams competing alongside an international outfit, UUDS Tuskers from Dubai. Although the tournament was initially planned to include three overseas teams, regional conflicts in the Middle East forced two teams to withdraw despite earlier confirmations.

Kandy Sports Club will be missed at this tournament due to the heavy expenditure on travel and accommodation. Kandy initially wanted to play only the Kandy leg. With Kandy opting out, the Kandy leg was shifted to Colombo.

Sri Lanka Rugby President Pavithra Fernando stated that he had personally attempted to find a solution to enable the Kandy players to participate and had even offered to support up to 50% of the required expenditure from his own personal funds, as Sri Lanka Rugby did not have the available budget at the time.

“Unfortunately, by the time we were able to speak with the relevant officials, the players had already stopped training. At that stage, it became very difficult to move forward,” he explained.

Fernando noted that the absence of the Kandy players was unfortunate, as several of them are highly talented and remain important prospects for the national team setup.

“Our objective is to ensure that the best available players represent Sri Lanka, especially with important tournaments ahead such as the Asia Rugby Sevens Series in China and Sri Lanka, and ultimately the Asian Games in Japan,” Fernando said.

He added that once the new foreign Head Coach for Sri Lanka Sevens arrives and begins work with the national program, Sri Lanka Rugby will review the situation and explore how these players can be reintegrated into the national training framework, ensuring that all deserving players have the opportunity to compete for national selection.

A notable addition to the 2026 tournament is the introduction of eight provincial women’s teams. This initiative forms part of Sri Lanka Rugby’s broader strategy to revive and expand women’s rugby, which currently has limited club participation in the country. In the main women’s segment, Army, Navy, and Air Force will lock horns, while the nine men’s teams will be divided into three groups.

With strong sponsorship, international participation, and a new women’s development pathway, the BogoLiv - UnionPay International SLR Sevens Series 2026 promises to reignite the excitement of sevens rugby while strengthening the future of the sport in Sri Lanka.

- Pix by Lasantha Kumara