Kandy team warming up for upcoming League matches | Daily News

Kandy team warming up for upcoming League matches

The Kandy Sports Club rugby team, who emerged champions of the A Division league tournament in the last season are working tirelessly to ensure that the team is prepared for the inter club league upcoming matches. Kandy SC is providing an excellent environment for the players to continue preparations for the matches. This is the club with the most wins of the rugby league title and has been the most successful club in the Sri Lanka Rugby Championship, winning 22 league titles in the last twenty eight years in the period between 1994 to 2022, with the highest number of wins since the expanded competition commenced in 1950. The years they won are 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022.

Kandy SC’s rise began with the arrival of one of the major rugby promoters who gave a big hand for the success that is former Royal College, CR & FC, Colombo Clubs and Sri Lanka rugby player Malik Devapriya Samarawickrama. His contribution for Kandy Sports Club is enormous.

Kandy SC is a club with a long and proud history. For this club it took 42 years to win a trophy and become almost an invincible force in the rugby field by ending the dominance of the Colombo based clubs. This club was founded in 1874 as Kandy Athletic, Boating, Cricket, Football and Dancing Club and after 14 years the name was changed to Kandy SC. After playing the first league competition in 1950 it was in 1994 they won the first trophy. For the first time Kandy Sports Club entered the final in 1954 under the captaincy of S.B. Pilapitiya but lost to CR & FC in the final, and once again the following year 1955 under the captaincy of Jeff Macpherson, too they went down to CR & FC in the final. Then the next final was after 14 years in 1969 losing to CR and FC by 6-12.

Today rugby is the main sport in Kandy’s sports calendar and none can forget the services rendered to the sport by many good old gentlemen. At present people like Patron Ranjith Page, Trustee Malik Samarawickrema, Sarath Perera, President Mahesh Weerasinghe, Vice Presidents Lasantha Wijesuriya, Janaka Pathirana, Anton Nanayakkara, Secretary Sujeewa Liyanage, Treasurer Upali Silva, committee members like Hafiz Marikar, Kapila Silva who is the Team Manager, Arafat Abdeen, Anuruddha Ranasinghe, Mohamed Jiffry, Abdul Rasheed, C Marasinghe, S. Malarselvam, Dr. Anura Welikala, Hemantha Yatawara, Ashan Ratwatte, Saliya Kumara, Fazil Marija, Nigel Ratwatte are giving their best to keep the game going.

In the coming season, players are sure to give an impressive performance, a big hand should go to their rugby committee chairman Lasantha Wijesuriya, and the coaching team headed by Fazil Marija Assistant coach Buddhika Thalagampola and team manager Kapila Silva.

This time Damith Dissanayake is the captain and they have a good set of knowledgeable ruggerites attending practices are skipper Damith Dissanayake, Nigel Ratwatte, Kavindu Perera, Srinath Sooriyabandara, Tharinda Ratwatte, Lasitha Attangoda, Heshan Kalhara, Tharindu Chathuranga, Anuruddha Wilvera, Yakoob Ali, Charles Praveen, Malitha Rashmika, Milan Weerasinghe, Lavanga Perera, Oshan Perera, Lakshitha Ranaweera, Thilina Bandara, Diluksha Dange, Chamika Perera, Uchitha Jayasooriya, S. Monishan, Sanushka Abeyawickrema, Bawantha Udangamuwa, Heshan Jansen, Chahura Soysa, Bawantha Dharmapala, Asiri Seneviratne, Rumesh Premathilake, Nimesh Premathilake, Sahan Wijesinghe, Dinal Ekanayake, Kavishka Bandara.

According to SLRFU fixtures Kandy SC are expected to play their first game against Army SC on Saturday 10th December at Nittawela, followed by with CR & FC on Saturday 17th at Logden Place, vs Air Force SC on Saturday 31st at Nittawella, Friday 8th January vs Navy SC at Nittawela, Saturday 14th vs Police Sc at Police Park, Saturday 21st vs CH & FC at Race Course, Saturday 28th vs Havelock Sc at Havelock Park, all matches are expected to kick off at 4 pm. Kandy’s rugby lovers are keen for a change, they like to see their club play their home games on Sundays for which SLRFU should give a hand.


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