Burra Rays Win the Sri Lankan 7s

The Burra Rays today wake as champions, having taken out the Centenary 7s in Sri Lanka overnight.

A hat-trick to Scarlet Heather in the final was enough to see off strong local side, Army Sports Club, to ensure a famous victory for BWRC in front of a capacity crowd at the CR&FC club in Colombo.

A tough call on the stroke of halftime meant the Rays could have been leading by more then the 10-7 margin, however some astute game management, cool heads and a willingness to compete for each other eventually closed out the match against a quality side buoyed by a vocal local crowd.

The Rays certainly did not have it their own way this tournament, drawing 19-19 with Army and losing Kieran Berry to a concussion in the first match on Saturday. Shaye Shipton then was forced to withdraw injured with a knee complaint in game 4, meaning the Rays were forced to finish the tournament without two of their most experienced players. There isn’t a single player in full health at the end of a very tough tournament played in extreme heat, with particular mention to Te Kaiwa Hughes, pushing herself through injury to contribute immensely at the back end of the tournament.

Coaches Luke Smart, Angus McGrath and Bryant Hall did an incredible job of improving the teams level of play across all 6 games, providing a winning game plan which saw the girls produce their most clinical rugby of the weekend in the cup final to get the result.

Away from the competition, the Rays have made an immeasurable impact in the community. First by running a school clinic for 50 students at CMS college, then donating hundreds of items of rugby gear to young local players, all whilst involving themselves in song and dance at various functions across the weekend to the delight of our hosts.

Proudly, the Rays have donated the $100,000 rupee prizemoney to the CMS college rugby program, where they will now be able to purchase balls and equipment for their players, in particular for the girls looking to take up the game for the first time.

The Rays have been treated superbly by the locals, namely the CR&FC club in Colombo. The tour has highlighted how truly global our great game is, with our Sri Lankan hosts providing the team with a life experience that will never be forgotten. Rugby is alive and well in Sri Lanka and the Rays are glad to have contributed in a small way to its profile and growth of the women’s game whilst visiting.

The Rays will now enjoy a recovery day at the beautiful Unawatuna before returning home to Australia on Tuesday afternoon.

To our sponsors, donors and the CR&FC club in Colombo, thank you for providing our players the opportunity to experience this beautiful culture, nation and its people, we will never forget this trip!