Sri Lanka’s Under-20 rugby players did the country proud by beating South Korea 31-15 in the third place play-off in the Olympus Capital Asia Rugby Junior Championships worked off at the Hong Kong Rugby Football Club, Hong Kong, yesterday.

Sources from Hong Kong said Sri Lanka had achieved a memorable victory despite the losing side fielding as many as 14 non nationals. This is the first occasion that Sri Lanka has beaten South Korea in 15-a-side rugby, at any level.

Earlier in the tournament, Sri Lanka beat Singapore 65-0 and lost to Hong Kong 51-10.

The Sri Lankan team is coached by Bilal Yusuf and assisted by Nilufer Ibrahim.

The islanders have over the years had a good run in the Under-20 Asian Schools Rugby Championships and finished third in the tournament a couple of times with the last memorable outing being in 2008. In last year’s tournament, Sri Lanka beat Thailand, also in the third place play-off.