SL face NZ under 85 kg at Nittawela on Sunday

Friday, 2 May 2025 00:18 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Sri Lanka Squad

New Zealand Squad

By Shamseer Jaleel

Sri Lanka Rugby team will lock horns with the visiting New Zealand Under-85kg in a much looked forward encounter on 4 May at the Nittawela Rugby Stadium.

Kick-off is at 4 p.m.

The fixture marks the first-ever clash between the two nations in this unique weight-class category and is expected to attract strong local support. Sri Lanka first played New Zealand way back in 1907, when the New Zealand outfit were touring England they stopped over to play Ceylon outfit in Colombo with many Planters in our line up.

The New Zealand squad has arrived in Sri Lanka and began training yesterday.

Sri Lanka’s national selectors, led by Sudath Sampath, have made a U-turn by recalling two high-impact players to bolster the squad. Jayathu Rajarathna, the league’s top try scorer and a former D.S. Senanayake College and Havelocks SC standout, returns to the starting XV. He is joined by dynamic back Shaahid Zumri, formerly of Isipathana College and Kandy SC, who adds further firepower to the lineup. Both were sidelined and not picked for the Malaysian game finds the starting lineup for this encounter.

According to reliable source Sri Lanka is to rest Heshan Jensen, Danushka Ranjan, Dinal Ekanayake, Lasindu Karunathilake, Tharindu Chathuranga and Mursheed Doray. Sri Lanka Squad (likely): Dahan Wickremaarachchi, Mohamed Nizran, Janith Marasinghe, Nigel Ratwatte (Capt.), Mohamed Rifan, Hirantha Perera, Shaahid Zumri, Kavindu Perera, Srinath Sooriyabandara, Jayathu Rajarathna, Janidu Dilshan, Chatura Soysa, Sandesh Jayawickrema, Nirosh Perera, Hafiz Thabith, Venura Kodagoda, Lahiru Thilakarathne, Dinesh De Silva, Pasindu Bandara, Thilina Bandara and Viumkthi Gamage.

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