Hisham’s hour of rugby glory was Lanka’s hour too
The fascinating game of rugby may serve at different levels depending on ones objectives and desires but in Sri Lanka, where the sport has roots running for over 133 years, it is still at a striving stage. After many have made attempts at different stages and eras under varying circumstances, the greatest ever achievement of Sri Lankan rugby completed its 25th anniversary this year.
The Gutsy Sri Lanka Sevens team of 1987.
It was way back in 1987, 108 years after rugby was introduced to Sri Lanka by the colonial rulers that the Islanders qualified for their first and only World Cup competition at the World Cup Sevens held in Sydney, Australia in the month of April. It apparently stands as the only instance when Sri Lanka qualified for a World Cup Sevens competition in history.
One of the team’s prominent playmakers in 1987 who was also the skipper of that gusty outfit Hisham Abdeen went back to his playing days reminiscing the wonderful era to the Sunday Times.“It was a period where Sri Lanka Sevens rugby was at its helm. Sri Lanka was one of key attractions at the famous Hong Kong Sevens ever since we won our only Bowl championship in the competition in 1984. We were one of the most looked-forward for teams in Hong Kong and we managed to sustain its gained status for some time,” Abdeen recalled.
After Sri Lanka won the Bowl championship in 1984, the national Sevens team went on to create waves in the Hong Kong Sevens in years to come yet they failed to win silverware after 1984. However the Sri Lanka Sevens team emerged as Bowl runners-up at Hong Kong Sevens in 1985 and 1986. In 1987 too they were on the hunt for a rugby glory but the side led by Abdeen had to be contended as Bowl runners-up for a third year running. It was after this feat that Sri Lanka gained its only world stage qualifier to play in the World Rugby Sevens in Sydney, Australia.
“We nearly regained the Hong Kong Sevens Bowl championship in 1987 but we missed the opportunity by a whisker. I have to admit that it was I who fluffed the conversion after bouncing back to level the Bowl final by 20-all against Hong Kong,” Abdeen added.
The Bowl final at the Hong Kong Sevens was eagerly witnessed by thousands of rugby fans at the Hong Kong Sevens stadium where the home team outstretched its dominance. After trailing behind into the final whistle Sri Lanka scored a magnificent try to level the scores by 20-all but Abdeen who took the conversion failed to put it over. Hong Kong went on to clinch the Bowl championship that year by scoring a vital try during extra time. But the performance ensured both finalists a berth at the World Cup Sevens which was held within a matter of days.
“We were evidently happy but at the same time under pressure to perform at the highest level. We were drawn up against some top teams in Sevens rugby in the group stage. We lost to Tonga and Argentina but after good fights. We were then drafted to the Bowl segment but it was not that easy to overcome a fearsome Papua New Guinea side that beat us and put our World Cup campaign to an end. But it was an out-of-the-world experience which no other outfit from Sri Lanka ever accomplished to go through after our feat,” Abdeen who runs his own rugby academy went on to say.
The members of the Sri Lanka Sevens team that toured Hong Kong and Australia were household names during that time. The team led by Abdeen comprised Kolitha Goonatilleke, Saman Kotalawala, Priyantha Ekanayake, Asanga Seneviratne, Anuruddha Bowela, Palitha Siriwardena, Roger Rodrigo and Ajantha Samarakoon. The team was coached by Ajith Abeyratne while Y.C. Chang who knew ins and outs of all the members managed the side.
While the evergreen Sevens rugby team produced by Sri Lanka rejoices its silver jubilee the Island nation is still striving to mark its presence in the global rugby arena. Time to time has Sri Lanka produced formidable Sevens teams, clearly which indicating that the shorter version of rugby is the only way out for the Islanders but sadly its rugby administrators have failed to implement what would have been an worthy investment. From the members of Sri Lanka Sevens team in 1987, Priyantha Ekanayake served as the president of Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) while Asanga Seneviratne presently heads the local Union. Abdeen who is also a Sri Lanka national football cap who played against Korea in 1986 is hopeful that Seneviratne being a prominent Sevens player will act optimistically to uplift its standards to help the country achieve internationally.
“It’s a mystery why or how our Sevens standards dipped over the years. We were one of the top teams in the past and it’s a pity that we could not maintain the standards. We played running rugby during our days and I do not understand why most of the players nowadays tend to make body contact with the opponents. Running rugby creates gaps and it is highly influential for wins. In addition there is a point we neglected for a long time which is the need of a separate and dedicated squad for Sevens rugby. Today we have the quantity of players but not the quality. I always pray and hope that Sri Lanka will be able to regain the status in the world Sevens arena,” Abdeen who was gleeful of the achievement way back in 1987 yet in a worried mood defined.
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