Colombo, Sri Lanka, September 10, 2023: The Sri Lanka men’s rugby sevens team will compete under the Olympic Council of Asia flag at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
Asia Rugby, on Saturday, September 9, officially announced that as Sri Lanka Rugby has been suspended by the international federation - World Rugby - they will compete at the Hangzhou Asian Games men’s rugby sevens tournament under the OCA flag and in OCA colours.
This development expands the men’s competition to 13 teams. The women’s competition will have seven teams. The Asian Games rugby sevens competition is scheduled for September 24-26.
“Due to the suspension of Sri Lanka Rugby by World Rugby, the Sri Lanka men’s team were not able to compete at the Asian Games. Considering this, Asia Rugby’s Executive Committee made a thoughtful decision to allow Sri Lankan athletes to compete under the OCA flag,” Asia Rugby said in a statement.
World Rugby has suspended Sri Lanka Rugby due to a breach in the bye-laws relating to political interference.
Sri Lankan media reported that numerous meetings and discussions were held between Asia Rugby, the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka, and the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs in Sri Lanka, to ensure that the island nation’s rugby players would not miss out on an event that occurs only once every four years.
The following agreement was reached:
• Sri Lanka will compete under the OCA flag.
• The team will wear the OCA colours of white, yellow and orange.
• The team will participate in the Opening Ceremony under the OCA banner and will not be part of the NOC contingent.
• In the event that the OCA Rugby team wins a gold medal, the OCA anthem will be played during the medal presentation.
It was also decided that the OCA team will be in the preliminary Pool B alongside Korea and Chinese Taipei.
Hong Kong, China are the defending gold medallists in the men's event.
