SLR Nippon Paint 2022/23 Inter-Club League Rugby Tournament will kickoff next week with the top eight teams in the country vying for honours. The launching ceremony of the new InterClub rugby season took place at the Taj Samudra Hotel in Colombo with the participation of the captains of all eight clubs. Navy SC will take on Police SC in the curtain-raiser on 9 December in Welisara

The participating clubs in this year’s tournament are defending champions Kandy SC, Havelock SC, CR and FC, CH and FC, Police SC, Army SC, Air Force SC and Navy SC. All captains expressed confidence their team is capable of putting up a good performance, having packed their squads with several schoolboys who excelled during the concluded Inter-Schools Rugby Tournament.

Favourites Kandy SC open their first-round campaign on 11 December against Army SC at the Nittawela Stadium, and their important game against CR and FC at Longden Place on 17 December. After two home matches against Air Force SC (31 December) and Navy SC (8 January), Kandy will play three back-to-back games in Colombo against Police SC (14 January), CH and FC (21 January) and Havelock SC (28 January) respectively.