Air Force rugby club, Diyatalawa - champions
M. Farook Lantra
The Air Force rugby club Diyatalawa just a week after winning the
‘Historical Uva Centenary Cup’ emerged champions in the Uva Province
Rugby Championship 2008.
|
Air Force Diyatalawa Captain Ruwan Wickramasinghe receiving
the ‘Uva Championship Trophy from the Chief Guest Brigadier
Kumudu Perera, Commandant Sri Lanka Military Academy. |
The Air Force Diyatalawa team beat Sri Lanka Military Academy
Diyatalawa, reigning champions of this tournament for the past 3 years.
The finals were played at the picturesque Polo grounds Diyatalawa to a
capacity crowd on a cool & breezy evening, ideal for a game of rugby in
the Dublin atmosphere.
The Air Force team coached by Wing Commander Sanjaya Fernando, who
himself played as the playmaker cum scrum half marshaled the team to
victory after a closely contested run and pass game.
The Military Academy drew first blood through an intercepted pass by
A.H. Soyza who sped nearly 60 Meters to score under the post. The
conversion was made good by E.M. Abeykoon.
Air Force soon reduced the lead with a penalty conversion by Sanjaya
Fernando. Just before the lemons, Air Force scored under the post though
a pushover try by I.K. Wijewansa and the conversion was made good by
Sanjaya Fernando.
The score read 10-7 in favour of Air Force at the change over. Soon
after resumption of play Air Force increased the lead by an unconverted
try off forward move by Ruwan Wickramasingha to read 15-7. In the 50th
minute Army fought back and succeeded with an unconverted try by A.B.
Nissanka to make it 15-12.
For the victorious Air Force team the captain of the team Ruwan
Wickramasinghe, Lasantha Bandara, Sanjaya Fernando, P.S. Pathirana and
I.K. Wijewansa excelled. |
