This year’s Rugby Rumble will be back with an international twist as renowned MC/ Animator of the Dubai rugby 7’s Dave Crane will host the event. “Dave is an integral part of the success of the Dubai Rugby Sevens and will enthuse the crowd with the same vibrancy,” said Dilroy Fernando, the Tournament Director.
The main sponsor for the event is Mobitel with the co-sponsors Kiss Fm, Mount Lavinia Hotel, Coca Cola, Sri Lankan Airlines, and Sports Today and TNT Express as the media sponsors.
This time around 16 teams are vying for honours in the under 20’s while 10 teams will battle it out for supremacy in the older category.
Explaining the tournament, Dilroy Fernando said this is not just an event for the former rugby stars but for the entire family. “It is a thrilling, fun filled seven-a-side tag rugby tournament that brings together former rugby stars of yesteryear from many top rugby playing schools like D. S. Senanayake, Isipathana, St.Peter’s, Zahira, Lumbini, Trinity, Royal, S. Thomas, St. Joseph’s. Dharmaraja, Ananda, Wesley, Kingswood, St. Benedict’s, St. Sebastians, St. Anthony’s and Science College,” he added.
Two mixed schools from combined teams like the Seb-Antho combine and three foreign teams will also participate enhancing the colour of the tournament. The three foreign teams are Lanka Lions from Dubai, Allama Iqbal Town Rugby from Pakistan and Lions from Qatar. Another highlight of this year’s game will be the veteran’s game where former ‘stars of yesteryear’ will take to the field reviving memories of old when they jinxed their way to fame.
The exhibition game will be between traditional rivals CR and FC and the Havelocks with players of the caliber of Micahel Jayasekera, Marco de Silva, Hisham Abdeen, Aruna Uduwelegedara, Kolitha Goonetilleke, Graham Raux, Roger Rodrigo, Chaminda Rupasinghe, Thusitha Pieris, Kamal Mahendra and Alex Nishantha from Havelocks and Ted Muthiah, Rohantha Peiris, Pavithra Fernando, Cargo Siriwardene, Jehan Canagaretna, Rienzie Fernando, Sean Dwight, Ravi Gunratne (the present President of the CR and FC) Chula Dharmadasa, Vipula Dharmadasa, Unindra Dunuwila, Chirantha de Soysa, Savantha de Saram, Wimal Eparachchi, P.G. Nimalasiri, Mangala de Silva and Rohan Chintaka from the CR and FC.
The after parties on both days by Green Zone will comprise of well known international and local Djs and bands. The parties will start from 8 p.m. onwards and bring in a vibrant ambience for party lovers to let loose and have fun. DJ Hanna from FTV Dubai, an internationally renowned DJ, will entertain the crowd with her unique blend of eclectic house music on the 5th, while local bands Glory and DJ Bonnie will provide music on the 6th.
An attractive total prize bag of Rs. 700,000/= consisting of Rs.350, 000/= and Rs.250,000/= for the Cup Champions and Rs.100,000/= for the Cup Runners up.
