New era of Sri Lankan rugby begins with ‘The Next XV’

From left: Official F&B Partner Food Studio Director Nadeem Rajabdeen, Official Outdoor Media Partner Richardson Media Head of Sales Kaveesha Hettiarachchi, Official Production Partner KSN Managing Director Ishara Gooneratne, Official Broadcast Partner PEO TV Senior Deputy General Manager – Media Vijitha Bandara, Sri Lanka Rugby President Pavithra Fernando, Sri Lanka Rugby Deputy President/Sponsorship Committee Chairperson Shanitha Fernando, Sri Lanka Schools Rugby President Buddhika Attanayake, Eventistry Sports Founder Karin Wijeratne Powered By Partner, SLT-Mobitel General Manager – Marketing Services Anuruddha Suriarachchi, Official Radio Partner E FM EBC Radio Channel Head Thoshan Ediriweera, Title Partner Euromotors Deputy General Manager Akthar Rizvi and Official Hospitality Partner Hotel City of Dreams Manager Roshan George

Sri Lankan school rugby is set to enter the franchise era with the launch of The Next XV, a groundbreaking new competition bringing together 140 of the country’s leading schoolboy rugby players across four city-based franchises.

The inaugural league will be played every Saturday from 19 September to 10 October 2026, with double-headers each week and one match played under lights. The first three Saturdays will feature the league stage, followed by the third-place playoff and Grand Final on 10 October.

More than simply another rugby tournament, The Next XV will serve as an official national selection tournament, providing all 140 players with an opportunity to compete under the eyes of national selectors. Each franchise will comprise 35 players, with every player receiving game time during the four-week competition.

The four founding franchises are the Galle Lions, owned by Shamal Perera, Oli Scarr and Dinuk Wijeyaratne; the Colombo Aces, owned by Viren Beruwalage, Saurika Livindu and Thehan Wijemanne; the Kandy Tuskers, owned by Tharanga Gunasekera, Prasad Dissanayake, Shah Doole and Hemanga Karunasena; and the Jaffna Bulls, owned by Udesh Dharmadasa, Prad Navaratnam and Dhovika Seneviratne.

The teams will be led by four respected names in Sri Lankan rugby, with Farzil Marija appointed Head Coach of the Kandy Tuskers, Radhika Hettiarachchi taking charge of the Colombo Aces, Asela Deshapriya leading the Jaffna Bulls and Rohan Chinthaka heading the Galle Lions.

The Next XV is the brainchild of Sri Lanka Rugby President and former player Pavithra Fernando, who believes the league can create a stronger bridge between school rugby and national representation.

“Sri Lanka has never lacked rugby talent. What we have needed is a platform that identifies that talent, gives it national exposure and provides players with a clear opportunity to progress. The Next XV gives 140 young players the chance to step beyond the school jersey, compete alongside the best and show the country what they can do. This is about discovering and developing the players who will shape the future of Sri Lankan rugby,” Fernando said.

Eventistry Sports comes aboard as the Event Rights Holder and Official Marketing, Media and Event Management Partner, bringing its experience in developing and delivering franchise-based sporting properties to school rugby.

“School rugby is one of Sri Lanka’s strongest sporting products, with exceptional talent, tradition and supporter loyalty. The Next XV brings it into the franchise era, combining professional presentation, commercial partnerships, broadcast and fan engagement to unlock greater value and opportunity for the game,” said Karin Wijeratne and Ifham Ariff, Co-Founders of Eventistry Sports, the Event Rights Holder and Official Marketing, Media and Event Management Partner.

All matches will be televised live on PEO SPORTS and streamed on KSN Live, providing nationwide exposure for the players, franchises and competition.

Jetour by Euro Motors joins The Next XV as Title Partner, with SLT-MOBITEL as the Powered By Partner. PEO SPORTS the Broadcast Partner, Sports Nutrition Hub the Hydration Partner, Cinnamon Life the Hospitality Partner, Food Studio the Food & Beverage Partner, Richardson the Outdoor Media Partner and KSN the Production Partner.

While four franchises will contest the inaugural season, plans are already in place to expand The Next XV from its second year, bringing more cities, more players and more opportunities into Sri Lanka’s newest rugby competition.