Sports
A record 84 teams to compete at Dialog Schools Rugby League 2024
Blockbuster tournament kicks off on June 14
In its commitment to nurturing budding sports talents and fostering future champions, Dialog Axiata PLC, Sri Lanka’s premier connectivity provider, is once again fueling the Dialog Schools Rugby League 2024. A record 84 school teams will compete across three divisions, setting a new benchmark in the history of the Schools Rugby League. The increased number of schools is a result of Dialog’s continued efforts in supporting Schools Rugby over the past years, including initiatives such as development tournaments. The much-awaited season will kick off with the Division 1 Segment A clash on 14th June at Havelock Grounds.
As the principal sponsor, Dialog Axiata PLC has made arrangements to live broadcast the tournament on Dialog Television – ThePapare TV (channel number 63), ThePapare TV HD (channel number 126), Dialog ViU, and Thepapare.com, catering to the interests of current and former students, parents, supporters, well-wishers, and the rugby-loving community in Sri Lanka.
Sixteen schools will vie for the Division I Segment A title in the Dialog Schools Rugby League 2024 and features defending champions St. Peter’s College, last year’s runners-up Royal College, along with Isipathana College, St. Joseph’s College, Trinity College, Wesley College, Vidyartha College, S. Thomas’ College, Science College, St Anthony’s College, Dharmaraja College, Kingswood College, D.S. Senanayake College, Zahira College, together with Thurstan College, Colombo, and Sumangala College, Kandy, who were promoted from Division 1 Segment B in the previous year’s competition. An additional 26 schools will compete in Division I Segment B and C, while 42 schools will participate in Division II (12 teams) and Division III (30 teams) of the Dialog Schools Rugby League, aiming to secure top positions in their respective groups.
In the previous season of the Dialog Schools Rugby League, the blue-ribbon competition in Sri Lanka schools’ rugby calendar, St. Peter’s College emerged as champions, triumphing in both the Dialog Schools Rugby League and the Dialog Schools Rugby K/O tournament by defeating Isipathana in both finals. St. Peter’s College, Isipathana College, Royal College, Colombo, St. Anthony’s College St. Joseph’s College, S. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia, and Trinity College, Kandy are expected to be strong contenders in this year’s tournament.
“This year’s league features the highest number of teams – 84, which is a significant achievement. The Dialog Schools Rugby League has shown remarkable growth over the years, and we extend our gratitude to our main sponsor Dialog Axiata for their support to SLSRFA, particularly in these challenging economic times” stated Kamal Ariyasinghe, President of the Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association (SLSRFA). “We look forward to an exciting tournament with all 84 teams vying for victory in their respective divisions.”
“In line with our steadfast commitment to powering the champions of tomorrow, we are pleased to partner with the Schools Rugby League, one of the most highly anticipated events in the school sports calendar,” remarked Lasantha Theverapperuma, Group Chief Marketing Officer at Dialog Axiata PLC. “We extend our best wishes to SLSRFA and all the participating schoolboys for the 2024 season.” Dialog Axiata PLC also made financial donations to over 70 schools, to enhance existing infrastructure facilities, and providing rugby kits.
“Engaging in extracurricular activities is crucial for developing children’s personalities and promoting healthy habits. We must commend the Sri Lanka Rugby School Union and its officials for organizing this event, which helps develop a generation of healthy individuals. We must also recognise the continuous support from Dialog Axiata PLC who has been a pillar of strength for the School Rugby Union by sponsoring this event,” said Minister of Education Dr. Susil Premajayantha.
“School rugby lays the foundation for national and international levels. Dialog Axiata PLC has been the main sponsor of the school rugby league since 2020, and their efforts in promoting the sport in the country are commendable. We must appreciate Dialog’s commitment to developing rugby in Sri Lanka,” added Sports Minister Harin Fernando.
Dialog Axiata is also a dedicated sponsor of the National Cricket, Volleyball, and Esports teams and the primary sponsor of the Sri Lanka Golf Open. The Company promotes diversity, equity and inclusion through sponsorships in Netball Federation of Sri Lanka and National Paralympic Committee to enable athletes to participate in national and international tournaments. Further, in line with its commitment towards empowering the champions of tomorrow, the company continues to power the President’s Gold Cup Volleyball, National Junior and Senior Netball tourneys, and School Rugby.
Sri Lanka Cricket have strengthened their backroom staff ahead of the World Cup by roping in former India opener Vikram Rathour as Batting Coach, SLC sources told The Island.
The 56-year-old brings a weighty CV to the dressing room, having been part of the Indian coaching set-up that lifted the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean in 2024. Rathour is currently serving as assistant coach of IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals, but will join the Sri Lankan camp next week.
Rathour is expected to stay on through the six-match white-ball series against England at R. Premadasa Stadium and Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, before overseeing the team’s final tune-up for the World Cup. With a proven track record and a reputation for technical clarity, SLC will be hoping he can help the batters find their range before the big dance.
SLC have steadily been bolstering their support staff. Power-hitting coach Julian Wood was hired last year and continues to work with both the men’s and women’s teams from the High Performance Centre.
Former India Fielding Coach R. Sridhar has also had a stint with Sri Lanka overseeing fielding standards and is currently in Dambulla working with the squad involved in the three-match T20I series against Pakistan.
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Adding further firepower to the coaching arsenal, Sri Lanka great Lasith Malinga has been drafted in as fast-bowling coach up to the World Cup.
Sri Lanka have been placed in Group B of the 20-nation tournament alongside Australia, Oman, Zimbabwe and Ireland. The former champions open their campaign on February 8 against Ireland and are expected to progress to the second round, with Australia the only side ranked above them in the group.
An 18-member squad has already been named for the ongoing Pakistan series, with the final 15-man World Cup squad expected to be announced shortly.
The Sri Lankan leg of the tournament will be staged at R. Premadasa Stadium, Sinhalese Sports Club Ground and Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, while India will host the bulk of the competition, including the semi-finals and final. However, should Pakistan advance to the knock-out stages, both their semi-final and final will be played in Colombo under the hybrid model.
There has also been speculation that Bangladesh’s World Cup fixtures could be shifted to Colombo amid ongoing political tensions with India.
Under 19 Cricket
St. Benedict’s pulled off an exciting three wickets victory over St. Aloysius’ as Mewan Dissanayake held the batting line up together with an unbeaten half century in the Under 19 Division I tier ‘B’ match at Karandeniya on Wednesday.
Bens beat St. Aloysius’ by three wickets at Karandeniya
Scores
St. Aloysius’ 167 all out in 54.5 overs
(Chanul Sanketh 23, Vinod Danushka 23, Sevitha Dumal 37, Dulsath Nimviru 29; Yohan Edirisinghe 2/18, Vihanga Rathnayake 3/24, Lithika Jayasundara 3/09) and 116 all out in 52.1 overs (Chanul Sanketh 44; Ayesh Gajanayake 3/27, Lithika Jayasundara 2/16, Mewan Dissanayake 3/30)
St. Benedict’s 144 for 5 overnight 167 all out in 45 overs
(Tehan Bitar 30, Vihanga Rathnayake 28, Sithum Hasaranga 36, Lithika Jayasundara 31; Chenul Nethmina 4/42, Hiviru Nimtharana 4/22) and 117 for 7 in 31.3 overs (Mewan Dissanayake 52n.o.; Hiviru Nimtharana 2/09, Oshadha Devinda 3/39)
First innings win for Thurstan at Thurstan ground
Scores
Thurstan 257 all out in 74.4 overs (Akhen de Alwis 25, Yohan Senanayake 34, Rison Jansen 20, Sethru Fernando 57, Rachintha de Silva 29, Udarsha Nimsara 23, Dewmika Hewapathirana 21; Minaga Ariyadasa 5/88, Thenusha Nimsara 2/92, Nethuja Bashitha 2/25) and 121 for 4 decl.in 30.3 overs (Yohan Senanayake 44, Rachintha de Silva 63n.o.)
Richmond 69 for 2 overnight 166 all out in 53.5 overs
(Chalindu Karunaratne 52, Ameesha Rasanjana 25; Yovun Silpa 3/46, Thanuga Palihawadana 4/44) and 68 for 3 in 25 overs (Ameesha Rasanjana 24n.o.; Thanuga Palihawadana 3/39)
Dialog Television announced that it has secured the exclusive media rights in Sri Lanka for all International Cricket Council (ICC) events from 2026 to 2028, alongside a free-to-air broadcast collaboration with TV Supreme.
This landmark agreement positions Dialog Television as the official Pay-TV broadcaster of ICC events in Sri Lanka, covering all major tournaments across Men’s, Women’s and Under-19 formats. The rights include the ICC Cricket World Cups and T20 World Cups for both Men and Women, the ICC World Test Championship Final, and other ICC-sanctioned international events during the 2026–2028 period.
Dialog Television also holds the exclusive OTT and mobile streaming rights for ICC events in Sri Lanka, enabling fans to follow the action across smartphones, tablets, and connected devices. Supported by Dialog’s high-speed mobile network and expanding 5G capabilities, this ensures a smooth, high-quality viewing experience, allowing fans to enjoy ICC matches seamlessly via the Dialog ViU+ app, wherever they choose to watch.
Complementing its Pay-TV coverage, Dialog Television has partnered with TV Supreme as the official free-to-air (FTA) broadcast partner in Sri Lanka, ensuring nationwide access to ICC events. TV Supreme is a fast-growing free-to-air television network with an established presence in cricket broadcasting.
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