New school rugby format to get the nod
The proposed tournament format for the Schools Rugby 2014 season has received the green light from the Executive Committee of the Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Association (SLSRFA). Susantha Mendis the Secretary of the SLSRFA said the proposed format was approved at an Ex-co meeting held on December 2.
The format has been accepted by all and is expected to be ratified by the General Membership at a Special General Meeting to be held on December 14.
The format for Division I will consist of 12 teams that will play in two groups of six each. A similar structure will prevail in the lower divisions. This will include the ten teams that played in the Division ‘A’ last year and the first two teams in the Division ‘B’. Each group will play each other and the first four teams of the two groups will proceed to the next round.
There will be eight teams that will only have to play the teams they did not play in the first round. The total number of matches will be nine the same as in 2013. Four teams of each group will proceed for the main championship the remaining four teams will play the first four teams of Division II. The first four of this group will join the top eight teams to make the 12 from 2015 onwards.
The schools section according to Mendis believes that this will give an equal chance to all and also give another opportunity to stay in the group or for a lower division team to be promoted.
The season will commence with the Under-20 Sevens to be played on February 1 and 2 followed by the Under-18 Sevens on February 8 and 9. The league is expected to commence in the second week of March and finished by the early June. The knockout will commence late June and finish on July 12.
There are many other changes in the junior games where the Under-18 will start with the Sevens in February and there will not be a 10-a-side but 15-a-side league that will commence in August after the Under-20 competitions and the schools holidays.
The Under-16 teams will play a 15-a-side league which will be played on the day of the Under-20 league tournament game. There will also be an Under-16, a 10-a-side without the Sevens and will be played for 10 minutes a half. In another change the Under-14 will play on the full ground as against the half pitch at present and will be a 12-a-side game played over two days.