The 2025/26 Inter-Club Rugby League tournament will get underway in Colombo today (14).
 
The nine-team premier club rugby tournament will feature foreign players for the first time in several years while the new Sri Lanka Rugby administration has also tweaked the championship format for this season.
 
In the first round, competing teams will play eight matches against each opponent while in the super round, top four teams will play for the Cup while the teams finishing fifth to the eighth will play in the Plate segment.
 
The top two teams after the end of the Super Round, will feature in the grand final where the 2025/26 Inter-Club Rugby League Champions will be crowned.
 
Meanwhile, the curtain raiser of the season will see Havelocks Sports Club taking on Sri Lanka Navy Sports Club at the Havelock Park this evening. The game is scheduled to kick-off at 4:00 p.m. In the second game of the day, the Colombo Hockey & Football Club will take on Sri Lanka Police Sports Club at the Colombo Racecourse Grounds also at 4:00 p.m.
 
Tomorrow, the Ceylonese Rugby Football Club will take on Sri Lions Sports Club at Longdon Place while Sri Lanka Air Force Sports Club will host Sri Lanka Army Sports Club at Ratmalana. Both games will get underway at 4:00 p.m. Reigning Champions and favourites Kandy Sports Club will not feature in the opening week of the tournament.
 
Meanwhile, despite the tournament committee allowing one foreign player to be signed, Kandy SC has opted against featuring any overseas recruits this year. With the remaining teams signing foreign players, a tight tussle is expected for the Championship this season.