The knockout tournament comprising eight teams will consist of six teams from the Division I Segment A and the top two performers from the B Division. President of the Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association and Principal of Royal College B. A. Abeyratne addressing a press conference at Jaic Hilton for the launch of the tournament on Wednesday said that the tournament will run alongside two other tournaments that will allow them to find the top performers in the lower divisions as well.

“While organizing the President’s trophy in the top division the Prime Minister’s trophy and the Chairman’s trophy tournaments will also be held alongside the main tournament,” said Abeyratne.

The participating are unbeaten league champions Isipathana College, league runner-up S. Thomas’ College ML, Royal College Colombo, St. Peter’s College Bambalapitiya, Wesley College and St. Anthony’s College Kandy from the top division while newly promoted Zahira College Maradana and D. S. Senanayake College will fill in the final two slots in the draw.

Defending champions Science College, Mount Lavinia have withdrawn from the tournament sighting financial difficulties while Trinity College and St. Joseph’s College have also pulled out due to player injuries and other reasons. “We were the triple runners-up last year and we were triple champions in 2014, so we know the pain of losing this tourney; hence we will be going all out to win it at any cost to redeem the lost prestige,” said Isipathana College captain Kushan Indunil.

Since its inception in 1995 St Peter’s who were the inaugural winners have won it five times, Isipathana College six and Kingswood College on four occasions.

Kandy’s Anurudda Wilwara, Havelock flanker Sudarshana Muthuthanthri and the youngster from CR & FC, Kanchana Ramanayake, all scored twice while Srinath Sooriyabandara also contributed with a try in addition to three conversions in a rousing win.

Sooriyabandara and Muthuthanthri combined brilliantly inside the first three or four minutes of the match to give Sri Lanka an early 19-0 lead taking the game completely away from Malaysia. However, the visitors hit back with two tries in the second half after Sri Lanka captain, Fazil Marija was sent to the sin-bin for the second time on the day. The former Kingswood fly half who was captaining Sri Lanka for the last time chipped in with two conversions, while Havelock outside half Dulaj Perera was taken off following another blow to his injury-prone right knee.

Ramanayake, coming into the team in the absence of Shehan Pathirana who was unfortunately injured during the semi final, bagged a brace, while Sri Lanka’s little pocket dynamite Wilwara once again lit up the Race Course with two astonishing tries where he demonstrated his power and pace.

The Kandy man in fact made the difference in the quarter-final when Sri Lanka knocked out South Korea courtesy of a late try from the former S. Thomas wing three quarter which saw the Tuskers coming back from a 7-12 half time deficit to grab a 19-12 victory sealing a semi-final berth against Japan, despite a yellow card to Marija. Among the other scorers for Sri Lanka in that match was Kandy centre Richard Dharmapala and Havies powerhouse Danushka Ranjan who completed a stunning 75-metre sprint before touching down.

Ranjan again starred in the all important semi-final although Sri Lanka went down fighting against the champions, Japan 26-19 in a thrilling match. The former St. Peter’s centre broke through the Japanese defence twice almost pulling off a sensational comeback after Sri Lanka had conceded a 19-0 lead.

Sri Lanka had an early set back with the tallest of their side Shehan Pathirana carried off on a stretcher due to an apparent injury to his knee before which he created a great scoring opportunity only to be missed by the Havelock captain Sandun Herath who had a disappointing tournament.
Japan came out winners in the final against Hong Kong with a 29-22 triumph to finish on top of the overall standings where Sri Lanka found themselves in the fourth spot in the end.
Sri Lanka women’s team meanwhile lost all of their matches in the tournament to finish last.