Sri Lanka’s men’s test rugby team has made significant strides, ascending four places in the World Rugby Rankings to clinch the fifth position in Asia. This remarkable climb follows their commanding victory in the recently concluded four-nation Asian Division I Rugby Tournament on last Saturday at the Racecourse Stadium in Colombo.
The emerging Lankan Tuskers, previously ranked 44th, excelled in the quadrangle series, where they convincingly defeated neighboring India and formidable Kazakhstan. Their brilliant performance propelled them to the 41st rank, establishing their position as the fifth-best team in Asia, trailing behind powerhouses Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, and the Philippines.
Leading the Asian rankings is heavyweight Japan, holding the 12th position in the World Rankings. Ahead of Sri Lanka in Asia are Hong Kong (24), Korea (30), and the Philippines (40).
At the summit of the World Rankings reigns South Africa’s Springboks, followed by Ireland, New Zealand’s All Blacks, France, and England, respectively.
Reflecting on past glories, Sri Lanka achieved a significant milestone five decades ago when they secured the runner-up position in the Asia Rugby Championship in 1974, finishing behind Japan in the final under the leadership of captain Indrajith Coomaraswamy.
Under the current captaincy of Suhiru Anthony, Sri Lanka has achieved its best performance in six years, marking a significant milestone for the team. Prior to this achievement, Sri Lanka’s highest world ranking was 40th place, attained in 2018 under the leadership of Fazil Marija.
With a youthful and immensely skilled team bolstered by a strong coaching staff, Sri Lanka’s Tuskers possess the potential to make a big impact in the international field, including the World Cup arena. However, to compete at that level, Sri Lanka must enhance its infrastructure, financial capabilities, strategic planning, and establish high-performance centers and programmes.
Sajeewa Jayakody