Priyantha to coach Kingswood this season

S M Jiffrey Abdeen - Kandy sports correspondent

A top rugby referee has taken over the coaching of the rugby team of Kingswood College, Kandy this season. He takes over from Nalaka Weerakoddy who is unavailable due to business commitments.

Priyantha Gunaratne is a product of Vidyartha College, Kandy and he represented the school at rugby as a centre three quarters from 1988 to 1992 and the vice captain of the team in his last year. Later he played for Kandy Sports Club as a winger before taking to rugby coaching.

His first assignment as a rugby coach was at his alma mater in 1992 and 1993. In 1994 he moved over to St Anthony's College and coached this school up to 2005. He turned around the rugby fortunates of the Antonians and they became school league champions in 2001 under Tikiri Dissanayake and also won the Singer Sri Lankan Schools Rugby Sevens in 2000.

Highlight of his career as a rugby coach was that the Antonians had a winning streak for eight successive years against their traditional rivals Trinity College from 1998 to 2005 which is a record for the Antonians - a record which cannot be emulated in the near future as the lions are now roaring loud as ever.

In 2006 he took a break from the game and took to serious refereeing officiating in top school and club matches which included the Bradby Shield encounter of 2007.

In the year 2007 he was invited to coach Kingswood College and relinquished duties after two years. He also coached St Anthony's College in 2009 and 2010 before giving up once again. In the years 2001 and 2002 and he was Sri Lanka under 19 assistant coach to Asanga Seneviratne.

As a referee he has made several tours abroad for tournaments in Dubai - four times, and also to Malaysia, and Thailand for local tournaments.

Kingswoodians will be fielding a fresher laden side and Priyantha Gunaratne will have his hands full in moulding them.