The rugby excitement that reached its peak last week with the Singer Schools Rugby League final will be back this weekend when the Milo President’s Knockout trophy kicks off at the Royal College Sports Complex.
The President’s knockout trophy will come alive for the 22nd successive occasion since its inception in the year 1995 and will consist of six teams from the Division I Segment A and the top two performers from the B Division.
Speaking at the press conference held for the launch of the tournament, Mr. B. A Abeyrathne; President of the Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association mentioned that the tournament will run hand in hand with three other tournaments that will be intended to target the top performers in the lower divisions.
Photo Album – Milo President’s Trophy Press Conference 2016
“We will be organizing the President’s trophy aiming at the top division and this time around the Prime Minister trophy and the Chairman’s trophy will be going hand in hand with the main tournament and will be held with the main tournament”
The President’s trophy will feature the teams of Isipathana, Royal, St. Peter’s, Wesley, St. Anthony’s and S. Thomas’ from the top division while the newly promoted Zahira College Maradana and D. S. Senanayake College will fill in the final two spots in the draw. Defending champions Science College have withdrawn from the tournament due to the lack of finances to continue playing in the knockout tournament.
Meanwhile St. Joseph’s College have been forced to withdraw from the tournament owing to the injuries that were inflicted on the team during the recent brawl incident that took place in the Plate final against Dharmaraja College. Trinity College were the other team to bow out of the tournament due to unavoidable circumstances cited by the school administration.
Newly crowned league title holders Isipathana College will go in as favorites for the tournament ending up runners-up last year losing out to Science College in final while the Thomians will look at another crack at league winners Isipathana.
The determined Green Machine captain Kushan Indunil added that his team will go all out to win what they lost last season at all costs. “Last year we were triple runners-up and we know the importance of the competition. We were triple champions in 2014 and we will be going into the tournament with intentions of regaining what was lost” he added.
Isipathana takes credit of having the most number of knockout titles under their name winning in six different occasions in the 21-year history of the tournament and in second with five wins in the leaderboard is St. Peter’s.
QF 1 25th June – Isipathana College v D. S. Senanayake College at 4.30pm Royal Complex
QF 2 26th June – St. Peter’s College v St. Anthony’s College at 4.30 Royal Complex
QF 3 27th June – Royal College v Wesley College at 4.30 Royal Complex / CR&FC
QF 4 28th June – S. Thomas’ College v Zahira College at 4.30 Royal Complex
