On Saturday May 4 at the famous Darawella grounds in Hatton owned by Dickoya Maskeliya Cricket Club, will host the 22nd Inter Plantation Rugby Sevens. This famous rugby event of the planting community will see some of the top players in action with fourteen teams of the plantation sector.
The chief guest of the day will be Anura Weerakoon CEO of Kaleni Valley (KV) plantations. So, it is going to be a super day of rugby where every game of rugby is going to be enjoyable. The plantations boast of many former schools’ rugby players, and the quality of matches has always been high and games well contested.. The winners will be presented with the Dickoya MCC trophy. The organizing committee comprises of Lalindra Abeyawardene the president, the tournament Convener will be the well-known ruggerite of Ananda College, who is one of the senior planters and sports promoter Manjula Samarakoon and Secretary Ravindra Sannasuriya and the rest are giving the best to make it a good event.
Overlooking the lush green of the golden valley of tea — Dickoya Maskeliya Cricket Club will host the Inter-Plantation Sevens in a carnival atmosphere with lots of entertainment for the planting fraternity and their friends.
This is the famous rugby grounds where the first ever club rugby game was played in our country that was between two Up-Country clubs, Dickoya Maskeliya Cricket Club and Dimbulla Athletic and Cricket Club, This match was played on September 7, 1880 with Dickoya Maskeliya CC represented by planters wining the game by 9 points to 3 at Darawella.
This planter’s rugby sevens is eagerly anticipated by rugby lovers of the plantation community. This time fourteen teams from plantation companies will be seen in action, to win the Dickoya Maskeliya Cricket Club trophy.
The teams in action will be from Talawakelle, Kealani Valley, Elpitiya, Hatton, Bogawanthalawa, Maturata, Maskeliya, Kotagala and Agrapatana Combined (Lankem), Kegalle, and Namunukula Combined (Arpico), Pusellawa and Agalawatte (Damro) Combined and Malwatte Valley. In the last year’s event Malwatte Valley plantations were the champions with Elpitiya Plantations.
