Sri Lanka Youth Rugby team off to Korea

By Shamseer JALEEL reporting from Korea

RUGBY: Sri Lanka Senior Sevens player and Isipatana skipper Dinusha Chathuranga will lead the strong touring party for the Junior Rugby Asiad which will take place in Busan, Korea from November 3 to 10, 2008.

Sri Lankans are in Group ‘B’ will battle it out with Singapore in their opener on November 4 and two days later will take on the winners of the Hong Kong Chinese Taipei match with final scheduled for November 10. Host nation South Korea are in Group ‘A’ along with Malaysia, Thailand and Kazakhstan.

The Lankans finished third in last year’s Youth Rugby Asiad in Brunei by beating Thailand (12-6) and losing to Hong Kong (0-6) before thrashing Malaysia (43-0) in the third place play off. Experienced Peterite coach Sanath Martis will be once again in charge of the side with Ananda Kasturiarachchi assisting on the tour.

Prop Forwards: Shane Sammandaperuma (Wesley), Dilanka Gunatilleke (Dharmaraja), Mohamed Rizwan (Kingswood), Ishan Noor (St. Peter’s).

Hookers: Bilal Hassen (Royal), Migara Madugalle (Isipatana and CH and FC).

Second Row Forwards: Kalana Amarasinghe (Royal), Hasthika Bandaranayake (Royal), Migara Wijeratne (Vidyartha).

Flankers: Gayan Ratnage (Kingswood), Poornaka Delpachitra (St. Peter’s), Sharo Fernando (St. Peter’s and Havelocks).

Number 8: Sajith Saranga (Isipatana and CH and FC).

Scrum Halves: Srinath Suriyabandara (Isipatana), Roshan Weeraratne (Kingswood).

Stand off: Niroshana Fernando (Isipatana).

Centres: Dinusha Chathuranga (Captain, Isipatana), Harsha Weerakkody (St. Peter’s), Chanaka Peters (St. Joseph’s), Dilshan Paul (St. Peter’s).

Wingers: Chanaka Gunaratne (St. Anthony’s, Kandy), Gerald Canute (St. Peter’s), Vishwamithra Jayasinghe (Isipatana).

Full Back: Dilshan Devananda (St. Joseph’s).

Coach: Sanath Martis.

Assistant Coach: Ananda Kasturiarachchi.