Henry and Radhika appointed to Sri Lanka U19 XV coaching roles

Monday, 3 August 2026 00:04 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Shamseer Jaleel

Sri Lanka Under-19 XV team preparations are gathering pace for the Asian Junior Rugby Championship 2026, which also serves as the qualification tournament for the Junior Rugby World Cup, with the appointments of Henry Terence (forwards coach) and Radhika Hettiarachchi (backs coach) to be officially announced later this week.

Henry, the current Wesley College head coach and a former Sri Lanka national forward, has been appointed forwards coach. He brings a wealth of experience, having previously worked with the Sri Lanka Under-19 national side in 2013 and 2016. His knowledge of forward play and school rugby is expected to play a vital role in strengthening the national pack.

Former Sri Lanka Captain Radhika Hettiarachchi has been named backs coach. While this will be his first coaching role with a Sri Lankan national team, he has valuable international experience after guiding Nepal’s men’s and women’s national teams in 2018 and 2019. He also enjoyed a successful spell with Zahira College, leading them to a runners-up finish in the Schools League.

Sri Lanka Rugby has already identified a preliminary squad of 140 players from across the country. Following the completion of the G.C.E. Advanced Level examinations, the training pool will be trimmed to 40 players, who will prepare for the four-nation championship featuring Hong Kong, South Korea, Chinese Taipei, and hosts Sri Lanka in December 2026.