Sri Lanka Rugby has shortlisted a 37-member squad ahead of the Asia Rugby U19 championship that will kick off on the 12th of December in Chinese Taipei.
The 37-member squad was finalized following the two selection games that were held between the two combined school teams of Kandy and Colombo.
The two-legged ThePapare Kandy Reds v Colombo Blues rugby encounter, served as the selection trial for the national selectors. Two legs were played this time; in Kandy and Colombo giving players adequate game time to justify their selections.
Senior campaigners who represented Sri Lanka last year; Daiyan Sabar of Wesley, Gemunu Chethiya of St. Joseph’s & Mohammed Shabeer of St. Anthony’s make the first cut in the squad.
The two players who made the trip to Hong Kong this year for the U20 sevens series; Janidu Dilshan of Royal and Dilan Kavinda of St. Joseph’s have also been included.
With only 24 jerseys to be won, head coach Dushanth Lewke is confident that he can pick the best team prepped up for the challenge in the coming two weeks. The squad will initially be skimmed to 30 members and later a 26 player squad will be shortlisted.
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The 37 member squad is as follows:
Forwards:
Props: Pravinda Wijethilake (Trinity), Himantha Hirushan (Royal), Abdulla Faiz (St. Peter’s), Rashmika Chandraratne (Kingswood), Adeesha Handunpathirana (S. Thomas’), Julian Charles (St. Peter’s), Milan Weerasinghe (Kingswood)
Second Rows: Javindu Fernando (St. Peter’s Ifham Fareed (Royal), Fadhil Adahan (Royal), Harith Senanayake (S. Thomas’), Kasun Bandara (Sri Sumangala)
Loose Forwards: Mohammed Shabeer (St. Anthony’s), Himalka Dhananjaya (Maliyadeva),), Daiyan Sabar (Wesley), Risith Fernando (Royal), Tharindu De Alwis (St. Joseph’s), Maleesha Madumewan (Royal), Janitha Rajanayake (Kingswood), Ravindu Anjula (Isipathana), Janith Wikumsara (Sri Sumangala)
Half backs: Jason Karunaratne (St. Peter’s), Shashika Umayanga (Vidyartha), Mubeen Faleel (Royal)
First Five-eights: Ishara Herath (Maliyadeva), Kalindu Nandila (Royal), Tharindu Hettiarachchi (Vidyartha)
Midfielders: Janidu Dilshan (Royal), Rukshan Madusanka (St. Peter’s), Lahiru Daulagala (Maliyadeva), Shan Akila (St. Joseph’s)
Wings: Vishwa Ranaraja (Trinity), Dilan Kavinda (St. Joseph’s), Thuwan Zamil (Lumbini), Ishara Liyanage (St. Anthony’s)
Full backs: Tuan Zamil (Lumbini), Kenneth Wimaladasa (St. Peter’s), Dulanjana Piyatissa (St. Joseph’s), Gemunu Chethiya (St. Joseph’s)
