Sri Lanka determined to host rugby match
Sri Lanka determined to host rugby match
COLOMBO (AFP): Sri Lanka has sought the help of its rugby world cup rival Singapore following claims by match organizers that Colombo was unsafe for their match, officials here said yesterday.
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar wrote his Singapore counterpart Shunmugam Jayakumar on Saturday seeking his support to pressure the Dublin-based World Cup organizers to go ahead with the match in Colombo.
"I can give you an assurance that the government of Sri Lanka will take every possible measure to ensure that the match is played under conditions which guarantee the safety of players," Kadirgamar told Jayakumar in the letter.
The World Cup organizers had told Sri Lanka's Rugby Football Federation that Colombo was unsafe and therefore to shift the venue either to Singapore or another country.
Last year, Australia and the West Indies boycotted their cricket World Cup opening matches scheduled in Colombo citing security concerns following a Tamil rebel bombing that killed 91 and wounded 1,400 at the Central Bank building.
However, India, Pakistan and Zimbabwe went ahead with their cricket matches in Colombo.
Meanwhile, South African star Joel Stransky got the better of former England ace Rob Andrew in a goalkicking shoot-out as Leicester beat Newcastle 18-8 to reach the Pilkington Cup semi- final on Saturday.
Stransky, South Africa's 1995 World Cup winner, struck six penalties from seven attempts while player-coach Andrew, one of 12 internationals in the Newcastle line-up, fluffed three drop goal attempts and succeeded with just one of his three place goal attempts.
The Falcons did manage to score the only try of the game, Western Samoan captain Pat Lam marking his home debut with the touchdown.
But it arrived with just three minutes left and was little more than consolation for the ambitious second division club.
Newcastle, without the cup-tied Va'aiga Tuigamala who arrived at the club from rugby league outfit Wigan earlier in the week, were never allowed to get into their stride against a water-tight Tigers defense.