Englishman Gollings likely to take over as national rugby coach
Ben Gollings billed to be the Head Coach of the Sri Lanka Rugby
Ben Gollings the former England Sevens Skipper and IRB (International Rugby Board) highest try scorer in sevens games is billed to be the Head Coach of the Sri Lanka Rugby. With Negotiations underway he is likely to sign up with his new contract with the SLRFU in the near future.
With the Sri Lanka having a very busy sevens schedule its ideal to get down a former player in the calibre of Ben Gollings. There will be four tournaments coming up this year. The National sevens team will kick off with the Borneo Sevens (Malaysia), Shanghai Sevens and Mumbai Sevens. The last will be World Cup Sevens qualifier in Singapore where 16 teams battling it out for the three positions for the Rugby World Cup Sevens berth In Moscow next year as the Asian representatives.
Rizly Ilyaz, former St. Peter’s and Petersons SC player and present Secretary of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) speaking to the Sunday Times said that negotiations are in its final stages. “We will be delighted if we can have him on board. With his experience in Sevens we should be very lucky to have him with 4-5 International tournaments on the card later this year with one in Singapore which will be a Rugby World Cup Sevens Asian Qualifier. He was very positive with the chance of the national team and said that we have a very good chance if we come in the top three and he will have ample time to get the national sevens team in top notch by that time.”
A pool of 24 players will be named for this first tournament in Borneo. Only one weeks training will take place as the schedule of the Inter Club second round games being over only yesterday. Only in one of the previous occasion Sri Lanka Sevens team got qualified for the Rugby World Cup Sevens. That was 25 years ago in 1987 under Hisham Abdeen where the national team participated in the tournament in Sydney, Australia.
The 32 year old Gollings ended his playing career which included 70 IRB Sevens tournaments and three Commonwealth Games which is a unique record. He stands at the top of the HSBC Sevens World Series scoring charts with 2,652 points – more than twice as many as his nearest rival, Fiji’s Waisale Serevi.
He made his international debut at the age of 19. His playing career is highlighted with the Hong Kong Sevens title in 2006, secured by his final-play try and conversion; a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne 2006, clinching tournament wins in Wellington and London in 2009; and securing England’s victory in Dubai in December 2010. In the longer version of the game the Fifteens he represented England at Under 16, Under 18, Students and A team levels as well as appearing in the England side that beat the New Zealand Barbarians at Twickenham in December 2003.
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