Naham and Sarani to lead SL at U20 Sevens in India

Saturday, 7 November 2026 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Shamseer Jaleel

Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) has named Naham Hemachandra (Wesley) and Sarani Nayanathara (Kuliyapitiya Central) as Captains of the boys’ and girls’ teams respectively for the Asia Rugby U20 tournament scheduled to take place in India later this month.

Hemachandra will lead the Sri Lanka U20 Boys’ team, with Yuwan Pathirana appointed Vice-Captain, while Nayanathara is supported by Chamodhi Sathsarani as Vice-Captain.

The Sri Lanka boys will be looking to build on their previous performances, having emerged as the second-best team in the region behind Hong Kong China. Their participation in India will provide another opportunity to measure their progress against the best emerging talent in Asian rugby.

For the girls, the tournament represents an important development opportunity. Although the team requires further training, exposure and experience before reaching the standard required for national-level competition, participation in such tournaments will be valuable in building their confidence and understanding of the international game.

SLR must continue its efforts to identify talented players island wide, establish a wider development pathway and provide sustained coaching and training opportunities to strengthen the girls’ rugby for the future.