Rugby-Mercantile Rugby Sevens kicks off on May 30

The Mercantile Rugby Sevens 2014, conducted by the Mercantile Rugby Football Association (MRFA) will be worked off from May 30 to June 1, 2014 at CR and FC Grounds, Longden Place, Colombo 7. For the 12th consecutive year, Dialog Axiata PLC will be the proud sponsor of this glamorous and much awaited event.
The 44th edition of the tournament will see the participation of 39 teams including two newcomers. They will be vying for the Cup, Plate, Bowl and Shield Championships.The two teams making their debut are Belco Asia and Attune Lanka.

The awards on offer are Mohan Daniel Challenge Trophy for the Most Outstanding player of the tournament and Pemraj Peiris Challenge trophy for the Man of the Final in the Cup Championship, Captain Mathew George Challenge Trophy for the Most Promising player in the Plate Championship, Most Up and Coming player in the Bowl Championship and award for the Best Performance in Shield Championship.

All Winners and Runners-up will receive Samsung mobile phones.The most outstanding player of the tournament will ride away on a brand new motorcycle.Man of the final will receive a 32 inch LED TV.All other special award winners will walk away with blu-ray DVD Players.

Last year, MAS Holdings A retained the Cup Championship beating Nation Lanka Finance (31-17); John Keells A won the play off for the third place beating Dialog Axiata A (26-nil); John Keels B won the Plate Championship , beating Commercial Bank (24-20); Citizens Development Bank won the Bowl Championship, beating

Commercial Credit and Finance(17-12) while Brandix Essentials carried away the Shield Championship by outplaying Amana Takaful Insurance by 24-15.

The Groupings are as follows:

Cup and Plate Championship(10 teams)

Pool A : MAS Holdings A, Dialog Axiata A , John Keells B, Access Group A and Sampath Bank.

Pool B : Nation Lanka Finance, MAS Holdings B, John Keells A, Dialog Axiata B and Access Group B.

Bowl Championship(15 teams)

Pool C : Citizens Development Bank, Janashakthi Insurance and Hutchison Telecommuncations.

Pool D : Commercial Bank, Amana Bank, Brandix Essentials and Entrust Group.

Pool E : Sri Lanka Insurance, Commercial Leasing, Nations Trust Bank and HSBC A.

Pool F : Commercial Credit and Finance, Ceylinco Insurance, Belco Asia and Kandurata Umbrella.

Shield Championship(14 teams)

Pool G : Ceylon Tobacco Company, Central Finance, Expolanka Group and HDPL.

Pool H : Amana Takaful Insurance, Ceylon Tea Brokers, LB Finance and Rainco.

Pool I : HSBC B, NDB Bank and Attune Lanka.

Pool J : Virtusa, Hirdaramani's and Millenium IT.

The first days play will commence on May 30(Friday) from 2.30pm onwards and will continue till 7.30pm while the second day's play will be held on May 31(Saturday) from 8.30am to 6.00pm. The finals of the Cup Championship will be played on June 1 (Sunday) at 6.30pm under lights.