Rugby: Tuskers eye Top 3 finish at Asia Rugby Championship 2019

Sri Lanka Tuskers will vie for top honours at the Asia Rugby Championship Division I tourney, which will kick off on May 29 at the iconic Taipei Municipal Stadium, Song Shan District in Chinese Taipei.

Sri Lanka Tuskers will be under the captaincy of 23-year-old former Isipathana College No.8 and skipper, Omalka Gunarathna, who in a short period has proven to be a versatile player, with both weight and speed. 

In the Division I tourney, Sri Lanka will scrum down with Philippines on May 29 at 2.30pm Sri Lanka Time. 

The second game will involve Chinese Taipei taking on Singapore on the same day at 4.30pm Sri Lanka Time. 

The losers of the two games will play in the third place playoff on June 1 at 2.30pm Sri Lanka Time and the winners will battle it out in the final at 4.30pm Sri Lanka Time on the same day.  

It will be a must-win tournament for Sri Lanka, who are hoping to be promoted to the Top Division.

Sri Lanka last won the championship in 2015, beating Kazakhstan (35-14), Philippines (27-14) and Singapore (27-14), to rise in the Asian rugby rankings to No.4. 

In the 2016 and 2017 the Tuskers emerged runners-up and in 2018 did not participate in the Asia Rugby Championships.

Sri Lanka Rugby squad for Asia Rugby Division I: Omalka Gunaratne (Captain), Jason Melder (VC), Kavindu Perera (VC), Roshan Weeraratne, Sajith Saranga, Prasad Madushanka, Thilina Wijesinghe, Umesh Madushan, Nivanka Prasad, Mithun Hapugoda, Theekshana Dasanayake, Sachith Silva, Buddima Piyaratne, Lsindu Ishan, Gihan Perera, Uchitha Jayasuriya, Charles Praveen, Thilina Bandara, Prabath Kumara, Samuel Maduwantha, Reeza Rafaideen, Dinuk Amarasinghe, Sudaraka Dikkumbura, Kasun de Silva, Yaqoob Ali, Ashan Bandara