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Defending champions Science College, Mount Lavinia have withdrawn from the tournament sighting financial difficulties while Trinity College and St. Joseph’s College have also pulled out due to player injuries and other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.

St. Peter’s beat St. Aloysius College Galle by 38 runs in the final played at the Galle International cricket stadium yesterday.

St. Peter’s winning the toss and electing to bat first scored 162-8 in 20 overs. Chandula Jayamanna scored 49 off 24 balls with 7 fours and 2 sixes. Skipper Vinu Mohotti made 40 off 33 balls with 4 fours and a six. Prabodha Guruge took 4 wickets for 24 runs.

St. Aloysius were restricted to 124-8 in 20 overs. Navindu Nirmal top scored with 36 off 39 balls with 2 fours and a six. Chandula Jayamanne took 3 wickets for 24 runs and was adjudged the man of the match.

Trinity Kandy beat Prince of Wales Moratuwa by 4 wickets in the third place play-off match.

Scores: Final

St. Peter’s: 162/8 in 20 overs (Chandula Jayamanne 49, Vinu Mohotti 40, Praboda Guruge 4/24)

St. Aloysius:124/8 in 20 overs (Navindu Nirmal 36, Gihan Niroshan 27 n.o., Chandula Jayamanne 3/24, Chathura Obeysekara 2/13, Taneesha Weerakoon 2/18)

Third place play-off match

Trinity beat Prince of Wales by 4 wickets.

Prince of Wales: 120 in 20 overs (Sanoj Darshika 52, Dilanka Gunasekara 26, Raveen Sayer 3/16, Hasitha Boyagoda 3/19)

Trinity: 125/6 in 19.3 overs (Nushan Weerasinghe 37, Shanogeeth Shanmuganathan 23, Anjula Sahan 2/22)