The hills are abuzz with excitement as DMCC prepares itself to host the 22nd edition of the Inter Plantation Rugby Sevens on May 4th at the picturesque Dickoya Maskeliya Cricket Club located in Hatton.
This highly anticipated event, eagerly awaited by rugby enthusiasts within the plantation community, will witness the participation of fourteen teams representing prominent plantation companies, all contending for the esteemed DMCC Trophy.
With a rich history spanning 152 years, DMCC stands as a renowned hub for sports and entertainment among planters, renowned for orchestrating premier sporting spectacles like the annual Inter Plantation Rugby Sevens.
Set against the backdrop of the verdant tea plantations of the golden valley, the Dickoya Maskeliya Cricket Club will serve as the vibrant venue for the Inter-Plantation Sevens, promising a lively carnival atmosphere with ample entertainment for both the plantation fraternity and their companions journeying from Colombo.
Rugby will reverberate throughout the region, tracing back to its historical ties as one of the key sponsors instrumental in forming the Ceylon Rugby Football Union in 1908. The Plantation Sevens breathes life into history, with the club being one of the six founding rugby clubs that established the Ceylon Rugby Football Union in 1908.
This year, each of the following companies will field a team: Talawakele, Kelanivalley, Elpitiya, Hatton, Bogawanthalawa, Maturata, Maskeliya, and Sri Lanka State Plantation. Notably, Malwatte Valley will be represented by two teams.
Moreover, there will be combined teams from Lankem (Kotagala & Agarapatana), Arpico (Kegalle & Namunukula), Damro (Pusellawa & Agalawatte), and Melsta (Madulsima and Balangoda).
Manjula Samarakone, the tournament convenor, is poised to spearhead the organizational efforts for the event. He expressed his fervor for the tournament, underscoring its significance as a prominent sporting affair for the plantation community.
In the previous year, Malwatte Valley Plantations emerged victorious as champions, with Elpitiya Plantations PLC securing the runner-up position.
With preparations in full swing, organizers remain hopeful that this year’s tournament will once again showcase the skill and unity prevalent within the plantation community.
