Sri Lanka Army clinch Bowl Championship of Kings Cup

By Ranjeeva Seneviratne

RUGBY: The Sri Lanka Army clinched the Bowl Championship in the Kings Cup Rugby 80 Championship by beating the Thailand National Youth rugby team by 19 points (two goals, one try) to 7 (one goal) in the final played at Sanam Rugby Ground, Phuket, Thailand recently.

The Sri Lanka Army went down fighting to Canberra Pirates by 18 points to 19 in their first match and went onto beat the Thailand youth team by 19-5 in the second match before losing to the Thailand National team by 19 points to 25 in their third match which saw them being relegated into the Bowl Championship.

Centre Ambuwangala was the most impressive of the Army players while Saliya Handapangoda, Manoj Silva, Asela Palihena, Suranga and Herathge Karunaratne also gave of their best which enabled the Lankan soldiers to clinch the Bowl Championship according to Army's coach Colonel Sunil Ranasinghe.

Thailand National team, Canberra Pirates, Sri Lanka Army and Thai National Youth team took part in this four nation tournament which was held to mark the 80th birthday of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand.

Thailand National team went onto clinch the Cup Championship by beating Canberra Pirates by 44 points to 24 in the final.

Colonel Ranasinghe said that the experience gained by taking part in the Kings Cup Rugby 80 Championship should stand them in good stead when Army takes part in the Inter-Club Rugby Sevens in Kandy, in February this year.