The long running Mercantile rugby 7s will get under way on the 10,11 and 12th of this month at the CR&FC grounds.
33 team will compete in the three day encounter where the top teams will play for cup and plate category and the lower competitive teams will play for the bowl and shield championships. Defending Champions MAS Holdings look favourites especially with the national 7’s captain Fazil Marija in the team along with plenty of other experienced players. However, Access, John Keels, Dialog all have national and top A divison players which will make this a highly competitive tournament.
As usual mercantile 7s will kick off on a Friday afternoon at 1.30pm and end the first day with only 21 matches played which will end under lights around 8pm. Saturday will decide which teams will go for the knock outs which starts at 9am and 41 matches will be played until 8pm. The deciding day will also commence from 9am and the cup finals is scheduled to kick off at 6.30 pm.
Notable absentee this year will be the Nation Lanka PLC who won the cup title in 2013 and the plate competition last year.
Certainly this tournament will showcase some true sportsmanship as most of the players who play for same club will now be playing against each other in a highly competitive encounter. Also the national selectors will have a keen eye on the performers at the Mercantile 7s and the club rugby sevens which is due to happen on 1st and 2nd August. Therefore this will be another opportunity for young talent to make an impression to the national selectors ahead of the selections for the Tuskers 7s squad ahead of Asian 7s series.
Here is a look at the top players list in the cup segment:
Four time winners MAS team :
Gayan Weerarathne (Kandy SC), Nigel Ratwatte (Kandy SC), Shehan Pathirana (Kandy SC), Roshan Weerarathne (Kandy SC), Fazil Marija (Kandy SC), Ashan De Costa (CR&FC), Anurudda Wilwara (Kandy SC), Mohamed Sherriff (Havelock SC), Lasintha De Costa (former CR&FC), Pradeep Liyanage (Kandy SC), Saliya Kumara (Kandy SC), Sandun Herath (Havelock SC)
Year 2000 winner ACCESS INTERNATIONAL team :
Shenal Dias (Havelock SC) Sudarshana Muthuthanthri (Havelock SC) Chula Susantha (Army SC) Srinath Sooriyabandara (Kandy SC) Chanaka Chandimal (Navy SC), Dhanushka Rajnan (Havelock SC), Vishmithra Jayasinghe (Kandy SC) Richard Dharmapala (Kandy SC), Saliya Handapangoda (Navy SC) Sashan Mohamed (CR&FC) Kavindu Perera (Army SC)Jason Dissanayake (CR&FC)
Most number of winner with 10 trophies John Keels team :
Heshan Gunarathne (Police SC), Kanchana Ramanayaka (CR&FC), Sasanka Ariyarathne (CR&FC), Pium Jayasinghe (Police SC), Hirantha Perera (Havelock SC), Oshan Perera (Kandy SC), Lavanga Perera (Kandy SC), Radeesha Senavirathne (Police SC), Lee Keegal (Navy SC), Sudam Sooriarachchi (Police SC), Hashan Madushanka (CR&FC), Sithum Peiris (CR&FC)
2014 3rd place winners Dialog team :
Bilal Hassen (Navy SC), Musheen Faleel (Police SC), Mohamed Absal (Police SC), Mithun Hapugoda (Havelocks SC), Rochana Hettiarachi (CR&FC), Samitha Dananjaya (Navy SC), Dinusha Chathuranga (Navy SC), Tharindu Chanaka (Kandy SC), Dulaj Perera (Havelock SC), Danush Dayan (Kandy SC), Chamara Dabare (Navy SC), Buwanaka Udangamuwa (Kandy SC)
