Colombo, Sri Lanka, April 20, 2025: Sri Lanka defeated Malaysia 59-19 in the Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s Championship 2025 playoff to earn a chance to qualify for the Rugby World Cup to be held in Australia in 2027.
A breathtaking performance resulted in the home team running in nine tries in front of a large audience to win back their spot amongst Asia’s elite and the opportunity to reach the pinnacle of the sport.
Sri Lanka will join Hong Kong China, Korea and the United Arab Emirates in a round-robin competition in May and June with the winners joining Asia’s number one team Japan at the Rugby World Cup in 2027.
“Our plan was to play fast and open rugby from the start, and we did so. It paid off and resulted in a strong win for us,” said Sri Lankan skipper and fly-half Nigel Ratwatte. “It’s a wonderful feeling to enjoy such a good win in front of a large crowd.”
The President of Asia Rugby, Qais Al-Dhalai, presented the winning team with the playoff trophy.
