Air Force aiming for a better display: Meet the rugby clubs | Daily News

Air Force aiming for a better display: Meet the rugby clubs

Air Force playesrs in action last year.
Air Force playesrs in action last year.

Sri Lanka Air Force Sports Club is an ‘A’ Division rugby union team, based in Ratmalana.

In 1961 Air Force SC together with Division ‘B’ teams from Police SC, Army SC, Navy SC and University were permitted to play alongside the Division ‘A’ clubs in the Clifford Cup competition, which was changed whereby all thirteen clubs had to play each other once on a home and away basis in alternate years and at the end of the season the best eight teams went on to play in a knock-out tournament for the Clifford Cup.

In 1972 they were promoted to the Division ‘A’, Sri Lanka Rugby Championship and by 1975 captained by Shanthi Mendis, Air Force SC were victorious in 12 out of 16 games at the end of the season entering the final of the Clifford Cup before losing to Army SC in a close game by

3-4.Two years later in 1977 led by scrum half Ronald Rodrigo, they once again made the final, ultimately losing to Havelock SC. During the 1980s Air Force SC produced a number of well-known rugby players including scrum half Tikiri Marambe, number eight Nalin de Silva, flanker

Harsha Fernando, second row forwards Lofty Perera, Rex Anthony and stand-off Tony Wimalasuriya.

In 1986 Air Force SC captained by Lakshman Caldera won their first Clifford Cup, defeating League champions Police SC in the final with a score of 10 points to 8.

In 1990, the Air Force SC had to withdraw from the game due to the Second Eelam War. The club’s rugby revival took place in 1995 under their coach late Uddaka Tennakoon, after an absence of four years. Air Force SC won the plate championship for three consecutive years in 1998, 1999 and 2000. The club was the runners up in the Rugby Sevens championship three times in 2006, 2008 and 2010 and In the Clifford Cup knock-out tournament final in 2010 the Airmen gave a sensational display although losing 24-27 to Kandy at Bogambara under the guidance of Inthi Marikkar their dedicated coach.

Incidentally last season they created the shock of the league by beating Kandy SC in their first leg match played at Ratmalana. Air Force Sports Club is expected to fly high this season under former national coach, Kingswoodian Ronnie Ibrahim as their head coach for the upcoming 2017/18 inter-club rugby season.

Ibrahim has already been impressed by the energy, enthusiasm and the passion his chargers are showing towards the game. He noted these factors as the reasons behind his decision to take up this coaching assignment with Sri Lanka Air Force.

This season the Airmen will be captained by experienced hardy prop forward Pushpakumara Samarahewa.

There are few new faces turning out for Air Force this season bringing in CR, CH and Police cracking third row forward Radeesha Seneviratne (Brother in law of famous Air Force and Sri Lanka centre Charith Seneviratne) where he will be most probably occupy the important position of number eight and St. Anthony’s College Kandy’s burly centre Jehan Seelagama, who will be making his club rugby debut this season, where he is most likely to be in the starting lineup for the Airmen.

Air men will come out for the first time this season against CR & FC on 05th of November at Air force grounds in Ratmalana at 4.00pm.


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