12 schools, eight men’s clubs and six women’s teams, two from overseas to spice up start of hundred years celebration of the Red Shirts:
The Ceylonese Rugby and Football Club (CR & FC) is currently busy putting the finishes touches to its jealously guarded Centenary celebrations that will start with a rugby Sevens event on March 31 on their hallowed ground at Longden Place.
The ten best rugby playing schools in the island along with two more will herald the proceedings under the direction of veteran organizer and the former Sri Lanka fly half Dilroy Fernando who has been entrusted with making the celebrations live up to the club’s image of understanding the needs of players sans unwanted disputes.
All eight leading rugby playing clubs in the country will further spice up the events lined-up when they kick off for the men’s segment of the Sevens on the following day that promises to be a show booster while six women’s teams including two from overseas in Australia and Qatar will also swing into action.
Fernando’s knack for negotiations was all that CR and FC needed to entice the two women’s teams from overseas while the matches will be blown by referees from Japan and Singapore. Two of the foreign referees will be women well versed in the field and they will team up with local match officials.
On the third day Sunday the Sevens matches will move into a knock-out phase with the semi finals taking centre stage and the winners of the men’s and women’s club teams will receive a purse of Rs 500,000 each apart from the Trophy and the runner-up team Rs.250,000.
Schoolboys who are looking forward to the new inter-school season are likely to use the occasion to showcase to their supporters what to expect and the winning school team will be entitled to Rs.250,000 and the runner-up Rs.125,000.
Fernando told the Sunday Observer that there will be no gate fee and rugby fans will be able to enter the venue free of charge and special emphasis will be given to schoolboys to cheer their teams.
As many as 12 commercial partners have teamed up with CR for the occasion that they see as a solid platform to showcase their products and trade.