Maliyadeva College of Kurunegala knocked out the fancied St. Joseph’s College 12-7 on the opening day of the Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association’s Elite Under-18 Rugby 7s tournament, one of the results that settled the eight-team Cup quarter-final line-up.
The league phase was completed on Friday at the Royal Sports Complex ground in Reid Avenue. Ananda, St. Peter’s, Isipathana, Trinity, Zahira, Kingswood, Maliyadeva and D.S. Senanayake advanced to the last eight.
Day one results
Vidyartha posted the highest score of the day, beating Sri Sumangala Panadura 63-0. Sri Sumangala Panadura also lost 52-0 to Trinity.
Elsewhere, Wesley beat Richmond 38-5, St. Peter’s beat Lumbini 24-5 and later edged Dharmaraja 24-17, Zahira beat Lalith Athulathmudali 33-10 and St. Anthony’s Katugastota 24-0, Ananda beat Richmond 31-0 and Wesley 31-7, Dharmaraja beat Lumbini 20-5, St. Anthony’s Katugastota beat Lalith Athulathmudali 17-10, Isipathana beat Mahanama 35-5, Kingswood beat Thurstan 29-0, Trinity beat Vidyartha 24-5 and D.S. Senanayake beat Sri Sumangala Kandy 34-5.
Four schools — Rahula MV Katugastota, Science, St. Sylvester’s and St. Aloysius’ Galle — withdrew from the tournament at the last minute.
Saturday’s knockout stage
The quarter-finals start at 8.00 a.m. on Saturday. The Cup draw pits Ananda against Isipathana, Maliyadeva against St. Peter’s, Kingswood against Zahira and Trinity against D.S. Senanayake.
The second day’s programme also covers the Bowl and Shield competitions for the teams that did not reach the Cup stage, with all matches at the Royal Sports Complex.
Sources: Daily Mirror, Daily Mirror.
