The Serendib International Cup will be powered by Dialog Axiata PLC who have secured their bid as ‘title sponsors’ of the tournament.
This will be the first ever IRB sanctioned tournament to be hosted by Sri Lanka and Dialog has continued to expand its interests in sponsoring Sri Lanka Sports with another important investment towards the development of Rugby in Sri Lanka.
The Dialog Serendib International Cup 2013 will feature hosts Sri Lanka, Madagascar and Poland in a three way battle towards supremacy.
Asanga Seneviratne the President of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union stated that ‘It is a landmark tournament in the history of Sri Lanka and the SLRFU is not just happy but also proud of the fact that Dialog has come on board to sponsor this tournament. Indeed the turning point in this country’s sport was when Dialog came forward as sponsors for Rugby and Cricket. No company in this country has come forward to sponsor Sports like Dialog has and we call on all companies in the country to support sport in this manner.’
‘The Dialog Serendib International Cup will be a signature tournament in the future and our plan is to make this a second tier World Cup in the future. We have invited a team from Europe and Africa to show world participation and once again on behalf of Sri Lanka rugby I would like to thank Dialog for coming forward and supporting us.’ Asanga further added.
‘I must congratulate the SLRFU for bringing a tournament such as this to Sri Lanka. This will go a long way in popularizing the game within the country and giving exposure to our players. Dialog is no stranger towards sports sponsorships and has been sponsoring sports since the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia.‘ stated Mr Chirantha de Soysa General Manager –
‘We are one of the premier sports sponsors in the country and are indeed honoured and privileged to be the title sponsors of the tournament. The SLRFU and Dialog share one common mission and that is to uplift Sri Lanka Rugby standards. I would like to thank the SLRFU for giving this opportunity to Dialog and wish the team all the very best for the tournament and we will continue to support ongoing tournaments and the league season to come. Dialog will be behind rugby to uplift the talent and the game in Sri Lanka.’ he further added.
Alastair Saverimutto the CEO of the SLRFU explained that there will be 9000 seats proposed to be installed and tickets could be purchased online through www.slrfu.com. Apart from tickets the tournament will also open itself to a corporate village which is a frequent feature in most international tournaments. Alaistair also believes that this tournament will make a statement in terms of Sri Lanka Rugby and to achieve on the field, the SLRFU also need to have a business and a going concern off the field as well. The dream to make this tournament a second tier Rugby World Cup with 16-24 teams is well on its way.
Members of the Head Table:
Chirantha De Soyza (Head of Business – Television Services), Asanga Senviratne (President of the SLRFU) and Alastair Saverimutto ( CEO of SLRFU)
