The 42nd edition of the alluring Mercantile rugby 7’s tournament will get underway on the 23rd (Friday) of this month at the CR&FC, Longdon Place.
44 teams will battle it out for glory this year with 9 teams turning out for the Cup segment. 7 teams will make their debut this year.
The resurgence of local rugby was pretty evident especially this year, and it is largely due to the financial backing of Dialog Axiata PLC who stepped in as the main sponsor for rugby in Sri Lanka this year.
They have extended their sponsorship to the mercantile sector as well and will be the chief sponsor of the event. ThePapare.com managed to speak with the Group Chief Marketing Officer Amali Nanayakkara to get her thoughts regarding their involvement this year.
“It is indeed an honour and privilege for us to scrum down with one of the largest sporting events in the Sri Lankan mercantile calendar. Dialog Axiata PLC is extending its sponsorship towards the Dialog Mercantile Rugby 7’s for the 10th year running, making it one of the longest corporate endowments in the illustrious 42 year history of Mercantile Rugby 7’s in Sri Lanka”.
“Rugby has become an integral part of Sri Lankan sporting DNA and is passionately followed by fans at school, club and mercantile levels. At Team Dialog we share the same passion and values attributed to the sport and are committed to extend our support in enriching one of the No.1 spectator sports in Sri Lanka today. In the past year our bond with the game of Rugby in Sri Lanka has become ever stronger with the sponsorship of the League and Knockout tournaments at Club level. Dialog’s sponsorship of National teams inclusive of both the 15–a–side and sevens squads too has been a strong indicator of our commitment to the sport. It is indeed heartening to see the national sevens squad performing exceptionally on the circuit and I am sure you will enjoy seeing some of those players in action at the Mercantile 7’s as well”.
“The speed, dynamism and innovative approach that comes with being a sevens exponent is synonymous with Team Dialog and our quality of play. Over the years, countless relationships have been formed and strengthened at the corporate level due to our involvement in this robust game and those relationships continue to grow stronger year on year. We continue to build our affinity with the game and the tournament in particular with the singular hope and belief that it will provide a bedrock and a launching pad for the future of the game. I wish this exciting and vibrant tournament all success!”
ThePapare.com are the official web partners of the event. Please stay tuned for more updates.
