Isipathana will take on Dharmaraja
The much awaited Schools Rugby League Championship 2017 will kick off from February 21 with defending champions Isipathana College taking on Dharmaraja College. The first round of the action-packed Schools Rugby season will run along for five weeks uninterrupted before the group standings are decided by March 27.
Twelve teams are making their appearance in Division I in the upcoming season, and the teams will be divided into two groups. Each group will consist of six teams each and they will play each other during the five weeks of play in the first round.
Title holders Isipathana is in the top of the draw of Division I Segment 'A' in which Royal, St. Peter's, St. Anthony's, St. Joseph's and Dharmaraja colleges are competing. The top of the Division I Segment 'B' is held by last year's runners-up S. Thomas' with Science, Trinity, Wesley, Zahira and Prince of Wales colleges completing the lineup.
Out of the two, the Segment 'A' prom- ises to have an exciting schedule with top teams Isipathana, Royal and the three Saint Schools -- Peter's, Anthony's and Joseph's -- and the former title winners Dharmaraja in the fray. The match of the group would be between Isipathana and Royal, played for the Major Milroy Fernando Trophy, which comes during the final week of the first round. In addition the Battle of Saints between St. Joseph's and St. Peter's is scheduled during the third week while the Rector's Trophy between St. Peter's and St. Anthony's is up during the first week itself. Despite all the facts of favourites and minnow, Dharmaraja could be the dark horse of the group.
From Segment 'B' the obvious hunters would be S. Thomas' and Trinity and with Science and Wesley as mysterious strikers, this group too could provide some exciting games. Newcomers to the top league, Zahira and Prince of Wales, will have to lift up their socks in order to live up to the expectations against much seasoned sides. The most obvious thriller from this group would be between S. Thomas' and Trinity, which comes during the fourth week of the competition.
The first round of the Schools will run uninterrupted from February 21 to March 27 for five weeks before the competition moves to the second round. In the second round the top four teams of each group will compete under the 'Cup' Championship while the bottom two teams from each group and the top four teams from Division II will contest for the 'Plate' Championship. According to Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association (SLSRFA) Secretary, Denzil Darling, the second round is scheduled to begin after the 'New Year' vacation break in mid April but first week's play will kick off from April 4 to 10. Then the competition will take a break of two weeks before moving on with the remainder of the second round and then the Schools Knockout Championship soon afterwards. Venues and fixed dates of the first round games will be confirmed after the SLSRFA Tournament Committee meets the officials of all teams by next week. Isipathana, Royal, St. Peter's, St. Anthony's, St. Joseph's, Dharmaraja Division I Segment 'B': S. Thomas', Science, Trinity, Wesley, Zahira, Prince of Wales
First round schedule
Isipathana vs Dharmaraja; Royal vs St. Joseph's; St. Peter's vs St. Anthony's; S. Thomas' vs Prince of Wales; Science vs Zahira; Wesley vs Trinity
St. Joseph's vs Isipathana; Dharmaraja vs St. Anthony's; Royal vs St. Peter's; Zahira vs S. Thomas'; Prince of Wales vs Wesley; Science vs Trinity
Isipathana vs St. Anthony's; St. Joseph's vs St. Peter's; Dharmaraja vs Royal; Wesley vs S. Thomas'; Zahira vs Trinity; Prince of Wales vs Science
St. Peter's vs Isipathana; St. Anthony's vs Royal; St. Joseph's vs Dharmaraja; S. Thomas' vs Trinity; Wesley vs Science; Zahira vs Prince of Wales
Isipathana vs Royal; St. Peter's vs Dharmaraja; St. Anthony's vs St. Joseph's; S. Thomas' vs Science; Trinity vs Prince of Wales; Wesley vs Zahira