Carlton Super 7s spectacle to hit the Colombo Race Course

Ten teams of outstanding 7s rugby players inclusive of Lankan stars and international stars have arrived in the capital city of Colombo to take part in the Carlton Super Sevens 2nd Leg which will be held on 15th & 16th of August at the Race Course International Rugby Stadium. 

Crowds are expected in numbers to watch the home growns rub up against the best of 7s international players and without the heavy breeze experienced in Koggala a showpiece of fast and furious rugby is on the cards.

Events commence 11.00am with the school leg on and  go on till 8pm in the night. Playing under lights will add another intriguing dimension to the party atmosphere with all the pretty cheer leaders dancing all around the ground will add to the glamour of the event.

The local players will be the greatest beneficiaries once again as they will be playing alongside few of the best 7s players from all around the world. Foreign stars showcased their true skill level to please the crowd in Koggala and now it is time for the rugby-crazy fans from Colombo to witness the heavy-duty international 7s stars in action.

After a successful outing in Koggala, Western Warriors will once again start as the firm favourites to win the 2nd leg and go away with the overall championship and most importantly the team to beat. The two Fijian born Lankan players, Joseph Dunn Naeqe and Emori Waqavulagi being the standout performers scoring over 15 tries combined in Koggala. Setefano Cakau and his Fijian team mates ( Jone Avokia Vota, Joeli Lutumailagi and Apisai Naqaliva) have been fantastic with their own style of 7s rugby which has captivated the fans in Sri Lanka in recent times.

Southern Sharks led by Srinath Sooriyabandara played to their true potential in Koggala as they used all their local and foreign resources well to become the first runners-up. Local players Soori, Dinusha Chathuranga, Shenal Dias and Vishwamithara Jayasinghe joined brilliantly with the likes of Osea Kolinisau, Samuela Saqiwa, Vatemo Ravouvou, Sainivalati Ramuwai and Semi Kuntani to form a dangerous team and they will no doubt threaten Warriors’ title hopes in Colombo with only 3 points behind.

Third placed Central Kings played their hearts out but only got 19 points in Koggala. Star winger Anuruddha Wilwara was sensational as his knack of scoring tries continued to prosper for Central Kings and he will look to bring his brilliant form to the heart of Sri Lanka, Colombo. Young stars in Richard Dharmpala, Nigel Ratwatte and the fancy looking Chula Susantha with his new Spider-Man hair cut enjoyed terrific success alongside their foreign recruitments in Matt Turner, Sitiveni Waqa and Shaun Adendarff.

Uva Vipers will have to put out their venom of All Blacks in Colombo to win the Championship as their New Zealand stars gave quite a show in Koggala but lost crucial games against Central Kings and Western Warriors. Shehan ‘Lema’ Pathirana was extraordinary with his leadership skills in a team comprised of Tim Mikkelson, DJ Forber, Tomasi Cama and Gillies Kaka. Uva Vipers.

Teams such as Northern Gladiators and North Central Typhoons will have to compose themselves properly and vie for better positions in Colombo. South African blended Typhoons were not up to their expectations in Koggala as they finished on 6th with 11 points while Fazil Marija’s Gladiators ended in the mid table on 5th position with 13 points. Dhanushka Ranjan and Mithun Hapugoda will be the players to watch out for in the Gladiators camp as they are dangerous runners with the ball.

Bottom ranked teams; Jaffna Challengers (7th), Sabaragamuwa Stallions (8th), Eastern Eagles (9th) and North Western Blacks (10th) will be playing for their pride and to satisfy their franchise owners as none of the above teams will want to end up as the Wooden Spoon team of the Carlton Super 7s international tournament.

Dialog Carlton Schools 7s will be continued from their group stage games which took place in Koggala. Kingswood College from Kandy is the only unbeaten team after 2 matches respectively to all teams in Koggala. Green Machine, Isipathana College will be fierce in familiar conditions such as the dark horses of Lankan schools rugby, St. Joseph’s College. Bradby rivals Trinity College and Royal College have huge reputations to play for and they will look to give out their maximum in the big stage such as the Carlton Super 7s tournament.