We want to prove ourselves: SL Men’s Head Coach Nilfer Ibrahim

Sri Lanka Mens outfit

Sri Lanka Womens outfit

By Shamseer Jaleel

Sri Lanka Men’s under Srinarth Sooriyabandara and Women’s outfit under Anusha Attanayake will take win to Birmingham on 25 July for the Commonwealth Rugby Sevens 2022 which will take place from 28 July to 30 July at the Coventry Stadium in England. Group matches will take place on the first two days while on the last day semi-finals, final and the play off will take place.

Men’s have never missed out representation at the Commonwealth Games from Its inception in the 1998 games in Malaysia while the Women’s will make their debut in this segment. New Zealand are the defending champions in both the segments.

Sri Lanka Men’s Head Coach Nilfer Ibrahim speaking Daily FT said: “Team went through the process after the sections and the final 13 chosen on merit. All selected players deserve their part in the team and their commitment was magnificent. We not only went through rugby and gym training but also for the very first time we had team building events (Outward Bound) organised by Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) which was very useful for the two units. 

Nilfer ended as saying: “I know we are in a tough group all 16 teams are good and you cannot write off any teams in the games. We will go flat out in all three games and want to make mark at this Commonwealth Games and stamp Sri Lanka as one of the best sevens playing nations in the globe.”

Women’s Head Coach Saliya Kumara, speaking to Daily FT said: “We started our training in April and from the pool of 40 we reduced to 20 and had continues sessions till now. We selected the best 13 for the tour and the outbound tinning sessions helped our unit a lot in team building. We concentrated a lot in skill levels since many of the girls not played rugby till, they join the forces or a club. But they have done well and we will do our level best to show what we are capable of though small made.”

The teams are sponsored by Nippon Paint, Signature, Webxpay and True Digital

 Men’s

• Pool A New Zealand, England, Samoa, Sri Lanka
• Pool B South Africa, Scotland, Tonga, Malaysia
• Pool C Fiji, Canada, Wales, Zambia
• Pool D Australia, Kenya, Uganda, Jamaica

Men’s squad

Srinarth Sooriyabandara (Capt), Danushka Dyan, Nigel Ratwatte, Reza Rafaideen, Buddhima Piyarathna, Tharinda Ratwatte, Chathura Seneviratne, Adeesha Weerathunge, Anjula Hettiarachchi, Kavindu Perera, Diulksha Dange, Mithun Hapugoda and Sudaraka Dikkumbura

 Head Coach Nilfer Ibrahim

Manager Rohan Chinthaka

Women’s

• Pool A New Zealand, Canada, England, Sri Lanka
• Pool B Australia, Fiji, Scotland, South Africa

Women’s squad

Anusha Attanayake (Capt), Ayesha Perera, Jayanthi Kumari, Shanika Madumali, Kanchana Mahendran, Charani Theekshana, Sandika Hemakumari, Jeewanthi Gunawardhana, Dilini Kanchana, Dulani Pallikkondage, Anushika Thushari, Umayanagana Thathsarani and Nipuni Rasanjali

 Head Coach Saliya Kumara

Manager Sunjani Ratnayake