All set for Carlton Sevens Blockbuster

Some leading international players who will be playing in the Carlton sevens tournament pose for a photograph at a press conference held to unveil the tournament at Galle Face Hotel, Colombo yesterday.

Clad with world’s leading rugby giants, the expertise of international coaches, ten franchises attracting Sri Lanka’s top rugby players and the added colour of Bollywood, 4th Carlton Super Sevens organized by the Carlton Sports Club and Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) will get underway on May 26 at Bogambara Stadium, Kandy.

The two legged tournament consists of 10 teams from nine districts and the second phase will be held in Colombo at Police Park on June 2 and 3. The ten franchises are Jaffna Challengers, Western Warriors, North Western Blacks, Eastern Eagles, Sabaragamuwa Stallions, Uva Vipers, North Central Typhoons, Southern Sharks, Central Kings and Northern Gladiators.

The matches at Kandy are scheduled to start at 9.00am and Colombo’s contest takes place from 11.30am onwards. The ticket prices for Kandy is Rs.500 for Grand stand and Rs.250 for Standard while for Colombo it increases to Rs.1000 for Grand stand and Rs.500 for Standard seat.

Among the leading sevens international players showcasing their skills will be Tomasi Cama, D.J Forbes, Tim Mickkleson, Frank Halai, Matthew Turner and Dan Norton. While the razzmatazz will hog the limelight, the organizer’s vision is to have the Sri Lanka national sevens side playing for the Olympics 2016 and they believe the exposure the talented islanders acquire from this tournament will harness their chances. Each franchise should play an Under-21 player and is coached by some of the top names in the sport today.

The trophy that is on offer is worth three million and Bollywood stars such as Preity Zinta and Vivek Oberoi at Kandy and Bipasha Basu and Sameera Reddy at Colombo are joining the festivities. The sports extravaganza will conclude with a concert on June 3 at Police Park, Colombo with attention being on Shankar Ehsaan and Loy and many local artistes. (CP)