Former England hooker appointed National rugby Coach

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Category: rugbyfootball

Published on Monday, 13 February 2012 22:34

Written by Sachin David

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The President of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union Asanga Seneviratne announced the new coach for the Sri Lanka rugby team at a press conference earlier today.

Seneviratne also announced the final 40 players who have been selected for the upcoming Asian 5 Nations tournament.

Phil Greening a former England player and assistant coach of the English 7’s team has been selected to take up the job as the coach of Sri Lanka. Greening made his international debut at Twickernham in November of 96. He has played 24 tests for England and has amassed a total of 30 test points through 6 tries. Greening played his domestic rugby in the English Premiership for Gloucester (1997-1998), Sale Sharks (1998-2000) and London Wasps (2000-2005).

Having played professional rugby for 14 year Greening was regarded as the most exciting hooker to player for England and once described as “the most thrilling Hooker” whose high regard has translated into his coaching career.

After retiring in 2005 Greening took up coaching at the London Wasps and then moved on to be the England 7’s Skills and Conditioning coach and moved up to take up the post of assistant coach of the England 7’s side till 2007. Since 2007 Greening has coached numerous sevens sides and was the head coach of the London Welsh. Greening has also been involved in many development programs around the World.

The president of the SLRFU commenting on the appointment of Greening said “he will be arriving on the 1st of March and as I recall is the first Nothern Hemisphere coach to take up this post”. He also stated the 36 year old coach was selected from over 50 candidates and will add a lot of flair to the side.

Greening having experience in both sevens and 15 is an ideal coach for Sri Lanka as we are a more 7’s skill oriented team. Greenings high profile status will also bring publicity to Sri Lanka rugby and will be ideal for the future of Sri Lanka rugby. The coach is said to have been contracted for 2 years with his contract costing close to 10 million a year.

The president also released the National pool of 40 players at the same briefing. The list is as follows.

Saliya Handapangoda, Randeera Meepage, Mohamed Sheriff, Rizah Mubarak, Terence Henry, Anurudda Wilwara, Sudharshana Muthuthanthri, Fazil Marija, Kishore Jehan, Dinesh Sanjeewa, Achala Perera, Senaka Bandara, Sajith Saranga, Roshan Weerarathne, Pradeep Liyanage, Gayan Weerarathne, Kasun Yasaisuru, Dinusha Chathuranga, Chanaka Chandimal, Yoshitha Rajapakse, Namal Rajapakse, Dev Anand, Kalana Amarasinghe, Suranga Pushpakumara, Sathya Ranatunga, Sumedha Malewana, Romesh Archirige, Srinath Sooriyabandara, Vishmamithra Jayasinghe, Sharo Fernando, Pubudu Kodagoda, Dushantha Lewkhe, Chamara Dabare, Zaffar Jahn, Bodhi Priyadarshana, Anurada Walpola, Richard Dharmapala, Wiran Warnakulasooriya, Dinesh Kumara and Shehan Pathirana.

A few of last years players have been left out of the squad due to unavailability and injury. The difference this year will be that 27 of the above players will be contracted by the end of this week. The captain of the squad will also be announced by the end of this month.

 

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