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School teams ready to throw everything at ‘gladiator style’ rugby challenge

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School rugby produced another blockbuster season last year.

By A Special Sports Correspondent

The inter-school league rugby tournament is expected to draw the crowds for yet another season as the sport of ‘rugby union’ is set to prove that it’s the most popular discipline practised here in the island next to cricket.

The Division 1 Segment A of the league rugby tournament will be worked off this season with 16 teams instead of the14-team line-up adopted last season. The tournament is expected to commence on June 10 and conclude on August 18; according to the rugby calendar released by the Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association (SLSRFA). So far the school’s section of Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) has not indicated of any changes to the starting date of this tournament.

The SLSRFA increasing the teams contesting the Division 1 segment of the tournament to 16 teams-eight in each group- is a bold move. But it has its pros and cons. The two teams that ended at the bottom of the group last season don’t see themselves being relegated. This type of decision by the school rugby authorities doesn’t force teams to be on the edge of their seats when the chips are down and they have not fared well. This means teams performing poorly can hang in there without being forced to drop to the bottom of the ‘league’ tournament. Instead the SLSRFA has promoted two teams from the Division 1 Segment B to contest the Division 1 Segment A of the tournament. These two teams which have earned promotions are Thurstan and Sri Sumangala Kandy. Both these teams did well last season in the Division 1 Segment A of the tournament. Thurstan has a long history in the sport of rugby and it would be a welcome return to Segment A; where the cream of the teams fight for the school rugby plum. However all eyes would be on new entrant Sri Sumangala which has to settle itself among the giants of school rugby.

The Division 1 Segment A of the schools tournament is hotly contested and players are forced to think and play the game like semi-professionals. It would be interesting to see how these two teams survive the big knocks in this segment where only the very best will survive. But luckily for the game all teams have taken this school rugby ‘challenge’ very seriously and have employed the best of coaches and support staff. Like its big brother, club rugby, school rugby also attracts massive media attention with games being telecast ‘live’ on a website dedicated to this sport. Most schools have more than one sponsor to back them and last year the main sponsor of the tournament-Dialog-pumped in much money to keep school rugby running like a Swiss made wristwatch.

Reigning champions St. Peter’s are grouped along with Isipatana, D.S Senanayake, St. Anthony’s, Trinity, S.Thomas’, Dharmaraja, Science and Sri Sumangala in Segment A while the other group (Segment B) comprises St. Peter’s, Royal, Zahira, St. Joseph’s, Vidyartha, Wesley, Kingwood and Thurstan.

Reigning champions St. Peter’s stared this season (2024) with two impressive performances. One was winning the Zahira International Invitations Sevens and the other was the School Elite Sevens. The Peterites were in a class of their own and gave enough signs that they will continue from where they stopped last season. Last season the lads from Bambalapitiya bagged the ‘league tournament’ and later the president’s trophy knockout tournament. The only team that posed a threat to St. Peter’s was Isipatana, which was breathing down their backs during the entire season. The two schools initially met in the super round of the league tournament where the Peterites beat the Green Shirts 22-17. The two teams then met again in the school’s knockout final where St. Peter’s ran away winners with a score of 25 against 16. Clearly St. Peter’s was the better side compared to Isipatana; this is despite the crowds wanting to witness an upset towards the end of the league tournament and during the knockouts.

Bradby ‘boys’ Royal and Trinity have already announced the dates for their annual encounter which is played as a home and away two-legged series. The first leg of the encounter will be played on August 24 in Colombo while the return will be played up in Pallakele on September 7. Last year Royal won the ‘Shield’ with an aggregate of 37 points against 30 by Trinity. Royal were led last year by lock forward Randul Senanayake. Trinity had a season of mixed fortunes and even won the first leg of the Bradby Shield, but the side led by Atab Manzil just couldn’t maintain the sharpness on the field need to produce a champion side. Trinity’s last glorious season in school rugby was recorded in 2014 under Tharinda Ratwatte. Trinity last won the Bradby Shield that year.

Last season the schools’ rugby segment continued smoothly without any hiccups; thanks to a sporting attitude displayed by all teams. There was a heart-warming incident last season when an Isipatana College player chose to make himself available for his school’s First XV rugby team despite there being a bereavement in the family. Back division player Heshan Randimal chose to wear the school jersey and play for his team while his loved ones were moaning the death of his mother at home. It later came to light that the player’s mother was one person who nurtured the dream of Heshan reaching great heights in rugby. Isipatana played against St. Joseph’s that evening and the Green Shirts won the encounter with a score of 28 against 18 by the Joes. And after the match, members of the Josephian team visited the funeral house where the remains of Heshan’s mother were kept. Rugby is a brutal game which demands one to be heartless; especially when the tempo in a game is high and no quarter is asked nor given. But rugby produces moments to remember when players show the softer side of human beings.



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Woods charged with driving under influence after crash

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iger Woods was fortunate to escape with his life from this 2021 crash near Los Angeles [BBC]

Tiger Woods has been charged with driving under the influence after rolling his car in a crash in Florida, police have confirmed.

The Martin County Sheriff’s Office said the 15-time major champion was also charged with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test.

Woods, 50, rolled his Land Rover after clipping a pressure cleaner truck while trying to overtake it at “a high rate of speed”, according to Sheriff John Budensiek.

The golfer, who had to crawl out of the passenger door of his vehicle, passed a breathalyser test after the crash but refused a urine test.

No-one sustained any injuries in the incident which took place on Beach Road in Jupiter Island just before 14:00 local time on Friday (about 19:00 GMT).

Sheriff Budensiek told a news conference: “The DUI investigators came to the scene and Mr Woods did exemplify signs of impairment.

“They did several tests on him. He did explain the injuries and surgeries that he’s had and we did take that into account, but they did some in-depth roadside tests.

“When it was determined, he was placed under arrest and taken to the Martin County jail.

“At the Martin County jail, and even on scene, we were really not suspicious of alcohol being involved in this case and that proved to be true.

“Mr Woods did a breathalyser test with triple zeros, but when it came time for us to ask for a urinary analysis test, he refused.”

Budensiek also said Woods had been “co-operative but was trying not to incriminate himself”.

“He has a right to refuse that test,” added the sheriff. “There is a statute which he will be charged with for refusing to take that test, but we will never get definitive results as to what he was impaired on at the time of the crash.”

US president Donald Trump was asked about the crash on Friday, saying: “I feel so badly. [Woods has] got some difficulty. There was an accident. That’s all I know.

“He’s a very close friend of mine, he’s an amazing person, an amazing man.”

Sheriff Budensiek said Woods would remain in jail for eight hours then be released on bond. The charges are misdemeanours, not felonies.

The BBC has contacted the golfer’s representatives for comment.

This is not the first time Woods has been involved in a car accident – he has played a limited schedule since the serious crash in 2021 that left him with extensive injuries and fortunate to be alive.

In 2017 police officers also found him slumped at the wheel of his parked Mercedes-Benz not far from his Florida home.

A toxicology report found Woods had several legal medications in his system and marijuana’s active ingredient, and he was sentenced to a year’s probation after pleading guilty to reckless driving.

In 2009 Woods hit a fire hydrant, a tree, and several hedges in a bizarre collision outside his home.

The incident sparked accusations of extramarital affairs which led to the end of his seven-year marriage and the loss of lucrative sponsorship deals.

[BBC]

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Sri Sumangala cruise to semis after Kumarasiri heroics

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Sri Sumangala College, Panadura secured a convincing five-wicket victory over Sri Dharmaloka College, Kelaniya in their Under-19 Division I Tier ‘B’ cricket quarter-final at Kuruvita on Friday, sealing a place in the semi-finals with two sessions to spare.

‎All-rounder Mevindu Kumarasiri played a decisive role in the win, following up his outstanding bowling performance with a vital knock of 44 runs to guide his team to the target of 157.

‎Sri Sumangala’s run chase was anchored by Kumarasiri and Neksha Iddamalgoda, who shared a crucial 85-run partnership for the fourth wicket after the early setbacks. The stand effectively put the Panadura side on course for victory.

‎Kumarasiri’s brisk 44 came at just under a run-a-ball and included five boundaries, while Iddamalgoda top-scored with 49, striking seven fours in a fluent innings. Although both batsmen were dismissed before the target was reached, their partnership had already taken the sting out of the chase.

‎Bihanga Silva and Sadika Damyuru then completed the formalities, steering Sri Sumangala past the target to wrap up an impressive victory.

‎The win was particularly remarkable considering Sri Sumangala had been bowled out for 144 in their first innings. However, Kumarasiri turned the game dramatically in their favour with a superb six-wicket haul that dismantled Sri Dharmaloka for just 89 in the second innings.

‎His match-winning all-round performance proved to be the turning point as Sri

Sumangala capitalised on the opportunity to book their place in the tournament’s semi-finals.

‎Scores

‎Sri Dharmaloka 211 all out in 76.3 overs

(Kaveen Deneth 106, Senuka Pehesara 29, Koshitha Adithya 19; Mevindu Kumarasiri 5/82) and 89 all out in 35 overs (Tharusha Mihiranga 24; Mevindu Kumarasiri 6/41, Methum Fernando 4/42)

‎Sri Sumangala 144 all out in 48.4 overs

(Neksha Iddamalgoda 47, Bihanga Silva 36, Mavindu Kumarasiri 21; Tishan Nipun 4/43, Sathindu Prabhoda 3/44, Koshitha Adithya 2/27) and 160 for 5 in 34.3 overs (Vidura Basuru 33, Sandeep Wijerathna 19, Neksha Iddamalgoda 49, Mevindu Kumarasiri 44; Koshitha Adithya 4/64) (RF)

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PSL 2026: Teams allowed to submit two XIs and pick one after toss

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Hyderabad Kingsmen captain Marnus Labuschagne warms up [PSL]

Shaheen Shah Afridi and Marnus Labuschagne, captains of Lahore Qalandars and Hyderabad Kingsmen, walked out with two team sheets each for the toss ahead of the opening matchof PSL 2026 and selected their final XIs based on which way the coin fell.

This was in accordance with a new regulation in the PSL playing conditions, which permits the captains to submit two team sheets to the match referee before the toss and finalise one of the submitted line-ups after the toss.

The clause 1.2.1 in the “Nomination and Replacement of Players” section reads: “Before the toss, each captain may submit two (2) different XI lineups in writing to the PSL Match Referee. Each lineup must include 11 players and a maximum of 4 substitute fielders (subject to Clause 1.2.5). After the toss, each captain must finalise one of the two submitted lineups by signing the selected team sheet. Once the final lineup has been nominated, no player listed in the selected playing eleven may be changed before the start of the match without the consent of the opposing captain.”

Tosses can play a significant role in this part of the world in night matches as a result of dew. The ball often gets wet and difficult to grip for the spinners, making them ineffective in the second innings. This change in the playing conditions is expected to provide a level playing field – a team batting first can add a fast bowler instead of a spinner while a team batting second can look to add depth to their batting.

There were no signs of dew in the first match of the season however because of the wind throughout the day and cloud cover.

[Cricinfo]

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