Flame of women's rugby burns like never before

But experts warn Sri Lanka may not be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel:

Sri Lanka's women rugby players are no more the lasses of an obscure world and instead are beginning to see another horizon thanks to their perseverance against all odds.

If all goes well they could even be listed as a professional force contracted by the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) which is studying a proposal put forward by coach Chandrishan Perera the former Sri Lanka captain and winger who has highlighted the need for a more serious approach to women's rugby that he has been nurturing for the past two years.

"These girls have shown the will and the enthusiasm and now it's time for everyone concerned to take it forward and ensure the future of the women's game in the country", said Chandrishan in an interview with the Sunday Observer.

Last week on yet another occasion the women showcased their desire to run and hunt like their male counterparts at the annual inter-club Sevens tournament in which the Army team won the title.

They prepared for two months ahead of the event and now look forward to be selected for the two-leg Asian Sevens series to be held in China in September and Sri Lanka in October.

Sri Lanka is currently ranked fifth in Asia from among 16 nations playing the women's game and is even targeting the number three slot behind Japan and China for a place in the World Sevens at a qualifying meet in November.

All Sri Lanka has to do is oust Hong Kong and Kazakhstan who make up the best five in Asia.

"Nothing is impossible if you take the way these girls look forward to the big events. What we now need is the physical build-up that takes in a high performance diet of protein and carbohydrates. The Union (SLRFU) is now budgeting for this and we are waiting for the outcome", said Chandrishan.

For the two Asian Sevens legs, Sri Lanka will be able to choose from the same caliber of players who grabbed the Plate last year to end up in the fifth slot.

They are currently in training preparing for the two forays and unlike in the past see better practice facilities. Chandrishan contends that with improvements made by the players and a little fine-tuning of the mind their entry into this year's Asian Sevens will show a marked difference.

Currently there are 12 clubs catering to women's rugby in Sri Lanka with the Army, Navy and Air Force holding much of the inducements for the players most of whom come from the backwoods with the hope the sport could give them what nothing else can.

There were times in the past when the girls practiced on a cow park without a ground and even brought their own water.

One of the players,Thanuja Weerakkody, was discovered from a village in Avissawella while playing netball for her school team as her desire to take a giant step further came when a rugby ball bounced up to her on the court from a nearby patch of ground where an SLRFU coach was training a group of girls.

Today she thunders like a horse and could find a place in any women's team in Asia.

Chandrishan sees more exponents like Thanuja waiting for a call-up from their humble abodes in rural Sri Lanka.

"I want to hand it (women's rugby) back in top shape to the next", emphasized Chandrishan."It's an Olympic sport and now we must be ready for qualification. We have to get new young players with basketball and volleyball statue. Big strong athletes and we can challenge the top three in Asia, China, Japan and Hong Kong. It's so close".

Since Chandrishan brought the girls under his coaching in 2013, Sri Lanka jumped seven places from being ranked 12 to the present fifth overall status.

But with the present limited backing from the SLRFU and the country at large, there are fears that the flame of women's rugby lit by dedicated men could also go up in smoke.