Sri Lanka Rugby Launches Next XV with Four Franchises To Develop Age Grade Boys Players

Sri Lanka Rugby launched Next XV on 20th August with four U19 franchises featuring 140 of the top boys’ schools prospects. We look into what is proposed and how it can help the development of the men’s game.*

Photo Credit – SLR

Local Sri Lankan media said the U19 franchise format is the brainchild of Sri Lanka Rugby President and former player Pavithra Fernando.

The idea of the initiative is to take the “finest schoolboy players step outside their traditional school colours and into a new era of franchise rugby.” Schoolboy rugby in Sri Lanka is already famously of good calibre, popular and can attract huge crowds, especially for big rival games such as the Bradby Shield.

Long-term, it will also serve as a new pathway towards trying to qualify for the 2035 World Cup, and in the short term allows the national selectors to pick a national team for the Asia Rugby Emirates U19 15s Championship 2026 in December, which will be hosted in Colombo. Korea, Chinese Taipei, Sri Lanka & Hong Kong China are set to compete.

Confusingly, there already exists a well-known Next Gen XV Rugby platform, which promotes schools and youth rugby, but as far as we know there is no connection between them and this league in Sri Lanka – it is a marketing faux pax though. That organisation is also hosting a Global Schools Challenge in Chiang Mai at the end of 2026.

*Apologies for mistakenly naming this Next Gen XV in the title and social posts (it was clearly pointed out in the article that it is a similarly sounding but separate tournament, but has been updated)

Photo Credit – SLR – Sri Lanka Rugby President Pavithra Fernando Launches Next XV

Pathway To RWC 2035

Sri Lanka Rugby President Pavithra Fernando told local media that ‘The Next XV’ is a major new initiative aimed at building a structured pathway for the country’s most promising young players and laying the foundation for the long-term “Road to Rugby World Cup 2035” programme.

At the launch, it was said that the player selection for the national Under-19 pathway will be based on performance, commitment, discipline, fitness and teamwork rather than reputation, school or past achievements.

Fernando added they are targeting qualification for the World Rugby Under-20 Championship and retaining talented players after school and developing them towards senior international rugby.*

What are the Sri Lanka Next XV Franchises?

Fernando said, “Sri Lanka has never lacked rugby talent. What we have needed is a platform that identifies that talent, gives it national exposure and provides players with a clear opportunity to progress.

The Next XV gives 140 young players the chance to step beyond the school jersey, compete alongside the best and show the country what they can do. This is about discovering and developing the players who will shape the future of Sri Lankan rugby.”

The four franchises will assess the U19 Boys’ performances, fitness, technical ability, discipline and character over a sustained period.

• The 140 players will be spread among the four teams through a structured draft (which took place on August 30th)
• Each franchise will comprise 35 players.
• Every player is guaranteed game time during the competition.

The four franchises are:

• Galle Lions – Head Coach – Rohan Chinthaka
• Colombo Aces – Head Coach – Radhika Hettiarachchi
• Kandy Tuskers – Head Coach – Farzil Marija
• Jaffna Bulls – Head Coach – Asela Deshapriya 

Media reports suggest that plans are already in place to expand The Next XV for its second season.

Karin Wijeratne and Ifham Ariff, Co-Founders of Eventistry Sports, the Event Rights Holder and Official Marketing, Media and Event Management Partner of Next XV, said:

“School rugby is one of Sri Lanka’s strongest sporting products, with exceptional talent, tradition and supporter loyalty. The Next XV brings it into the franchise era, combining professional presentation, commercial partnerships, broadcast and fan engagement to unlock greater value and opportunity for the game.”

Next XV Sri Lanka 2026 Schedule

The SLR Next XV 2026 league kicks off on Saturday 19 September and runs every Saturday until 10 October. There will be double-headers each weekend with one match played in the evenings.

The first three weekends are round-robin pool games, followed by the third-place playoff and grand final on 10 October.

• Round 1 – Saturday 19 September
• Round 2 – Saturday 26 September
• Round 3 – Saturday 3 October
• Finals Weekend – Saturday 10 October

Will the Next XV Be Broadcast?

All matches will be televised live on PEO SPORTS and streamed on KSN Live.

What About the Girls?

SLR has taken quite a biased view in developing the Men’s and Boys’ game compared to the Women’s and Girls’ game. There might well be good reasons for it, but it also seems like a missed opportunity.

The Men’s 7s national team have 21 fully contracted players this season with a target of a medal at the Asian Games (no such luck for the Womens team), and this new venture is exclusively for the U19 Boys.

With Men’s Rugby World Cup aspirations, they have some way to go to surpass Japan or Hong Kong China in the Men’s XV game, but you do have to applaud their efforts and ambitions – it would be great to see the same focus given to the Girls, though?

Earlier this year, Ella Wyrwas (Saracens and Red Roses) ran a Women’s camp in Sri Lanka (we helped put her in touch with the SLR).

In the region, the Japan U20s competed at the World Junior Championship 2026, while Hong Kong China is due to participate at the U20 Challenger Cup 2026 in Chile this October. There is no regional or World Rugby U19 or U20 Women’s tournament.

*We are still seeking to clarify what the U20 pathway is for the winners of the Asian tournament at the end of 2026.

Asian Rugby News 2026

• World Rugby U20 Championship Rebranded as Junior World Championship.
• World Rugby Extends Lower Tackle Height Trial to World Rugby U20 Championship 2026.
• Asian International Rugby Tournaments 2026.
• Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Series 2026 Leg 1 Suzhou Preview.