-August 27th, 2007
SriLankan Airlines and Singer (Sri Lanka) will host the ninth international Singer SriLankan Airlines Rugby Sevens tournament this year, as fans and rugby fanatics’ flock to the island’s hill country to savour the excitement.
Kandy transforms into a weekend long party, with the cheering crowds and super-charged carnival atmosphere a perfect match for the thrilling fast paced action on the field.
The popular rugby tournament will kick off at the Nittawela Rugby Stadium in Kandy on September 7, 8 and 9, 2007.
“Top teams from 12 countries in the region will compete against each other, drawn from the International Rugby Board’s top 20 rankings.
Participating teams are from the Arabian Gulf, China, Cambodia, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Kazakhastan, Malaysia, Thailand and Sri Lanka.
Leading household brand SINGER, national carrier SriLankan Airlines and the Kandy Sports Club will join together to host the event, under the auspices of Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union.
“SINGER remains committed to development of rugby in Sri Lanka & Asia. Our sponsorship of the International Rugby Sevens since its inception is yet another expression of that steadfast commitment to a game that has taken Sri Lanka by storm in recent times. We are confident our sponsorship of rugby will take the game to yet another dimension in the years ahead,” Hemaka Amarasuriya, Chief Executive Officer of Singer said.
“Our ninth successive year of sponsorship is an endorsement of our commitment to rugby and our efforts to develop an international rugby tournament in Sri Lanka,” Peter Hill, CEO of SriLankan Airlines said.
The Singer Sri Lankan Airlines Rugby Sevens is an International Rugby Board Satellite Sevens Asia event, also promoted by the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union.
“The first three ranking teams of this event will be selected for the prestigious and competitive IRB Asian region circuit,” Iswan Omar, Chairman of the organizing committee said.
“Every year the crowds have been increasing and this year we expect as many as 10,000 people in the stands over the weekend. This event has also given a huge boost for local schools, with some making it to the A-Division.”
The tournament will also host teams from local schools to play alongside the international tournament. Schools invited to play are Kingswood College, St Anthony’s, Vidyaratha, St Sylvesters, Isipathana, Ananda College, St Peters, St Thomas’s Mt Lavinia, Dharmaraja College, Zahira College, Thurstan and Wesley College.
The international teams will fly to Sri Lanka courtesy of Sri Lankan Airlines. Other sponsors of the event include Rolls Royce, Airbus Industries, SITA, Haesl, IAE International, CFM, John Keells Elephant House, Lion Brewery and Amaya Resorts.
SriLankan Airlines is the country’s award winning national carrier and flies to 51 destinations in 28 countries. The airline actively promotes sporting events in Sri Lanka and the region and has several signature events in golfing, surfing and rugby in its sporting calendar.
Singer (Sri Lanka) is a large diversified conglomerate and a household name in Sri Lanka for electronic goods and domestic appliances. SINGER is a name synonymous with the local rugby fraternity as sponsors of the country’s national team, in addition to supporting local schools and club events. It was also recently voted “Best Brand of the Year 2007” in a SLIM-AC Nielson consumer survey.
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