Sri Lanka completed a dominant double at the Central and South Asia Rugby Sevens Championship (CASA 7s) in Uzbekistan on Sunday, winning both the men’s and women’s Cup Finals against the region’s strongest sides.
The Sri Lanka men’s team beat India 31-10 in the men’s final after qualifying unbeaten through the group stage, NewsFirst reported. The women’s team produced an even more emphatic performance in their final, shutting out Kazakhstan 27-0 to lift the women’s trophy.
The seven-nation tournament drew teams from across the Central and South Asia region. Newswire described the result as “a successful outing for Sri Lanka Rugby in the regional tournament, with both national teams finishing on top in Uzbekistan.”
The double championship is a major regional milestone for the islanders and follows a productive recent stretch for Sri Lanka’s sevens programmes. The men’s title in particular comes against an Indian side that has invested heavily in its rugby programme since being promoted into the Asia Rugby division alongside Sri Lanka.
The CASA 7s is the qualifying gateway for the Asia Rugby Sevens Series and is increasingly viewed as a feeder competition for the world series qualifying pathway. Both Sri Lankan squads will now turn to the higher-tier Asia Rugby Sevens Series later in the calendar, where they will face East Asian heavyweights including Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea.
Sri Lanka Rugby has had a strong international run this season, with the men’s XV also confirmed to host Northampton Saints in August in a marquee fixture at the Racecourse.
