Dharmaraja/Mahamaya clinch ‘C Rugby’ Cup, Trinity/Hillwood Plate champions, St. Benedicts/Good Shepherd Convent win Bowl championship
The 7-a-side Tag Rugby Tournament combines former school stars with sister schools for first time
The annual tag rugby gala, which draws school rugby stars of yesteryear, introduced a first in the history of rugby in Sri Lanka with counterparts from sister schools joining the brother school teams. Dharmaraja, combined with two female players from Mahamaya College Kandy to record a close 1-0 win against St. Anthony’s College, whose female players were from Good Shepherd’s Girls School, Kandy.
The tournament which kicked off at 2 pm ended about midnight with not just action-packed rugby but a carnival atmosphere prevailing throughout. Music by Link, Magic Box Mixup, Slipping Chairs, Rugrats and some of Sri Lanka’s best DJs was the perfect accompaniment to street food, a children’s play area and a bazaar which kept the party in full swing. There was a crowd of over 1,500 spectators at the tournament.
Trinity College together with female players from Hillwood College carried the Plate title beating St. Sylvester’s College combining players from St. Anthony’s Girls’ School, Katugastota.
The Bowl championship went to St. Benedict’s/Good Shepherd Convent where in an enthralling battle with Isipathana Whites who played with female players from St. Paul’s, the winner was decided after a coin toss as the match ended in a scoreless stalemate even after extra time.
There were a host of other awards including Most Valuable Player in the men and women’s categories as well as Most Entertaining Player with cash prizes awarded to the winners.
The event was organized by AGOAL International, headed by former Isipathana College, CR&FC and Sri Lanka rugby player and renowned International rugby referee Dilroy Fernando. AGOAL Rugby has organized this tournament six times previously.
