Kandy’s Vidyartha College sevens team led by Gayan Perera made history by winning the Plate championship at the under 19 Elite schools sevens 2024 rugby tournament which ended on Sunday with a 24-10 victory against hometown friends Dhamraraja College.
Both these Kandy schools advanced to the final after good rugby, in the final Vidyartha College displayed a good game of rugby. In this final both teams dished out good quality rugby.
For this sevens Vidyartha College were blessed with top players, they came up to the cup Quarter finals and went down to St. Peter’s College, who ended up as champions.
The Vidyartha College side was led by Center-three-quarter Gayan Perera a good leader and knew how to play the game., the squad was made out of players like Gayan Perera, Deshan Balsooriya, Praveen de Mel, Roshitha Karunarathne, Rusith Kumarta, Hevin Karunarthne, Paduditha Narayana, Pasan Dullewa, Punsara Priyarthne, Sadew Dilshara, Chamodh Pereram Kumula Wijetunga, Aditha Ranaweera, Pasindnu Rajapakse, Ishan Padmathilaka, The head coach is Sumedha Malewana who learnt his rugby at this school and latter played for the Sailors and the country, is an experienced coach and a knowledgeable man in the rugby field.
The Backs coach Kavindu Perera, Trainieer Kusal Bandara, Team Manager Upul Bandara Weerasinghe. All rugger lovers of Vidyartha College, their supporters and Kandy’s rugby lovers are really happy and proud of the winning team.
Vidyartha College has produced some top rugby players in the recent past. It was in 1959 that rugby was introduced to the school; the Kandy SC Committee of the early days helped them to find their feet by permitting the use of their grounds at Nittawela.
One of the first in the rugby field to hit the top was Tikiri. Banda Wijesinghe, who soon after his school career played for Kandy Lake Club, One of the famous players of this school was Charles Wijewardena who first played for Air Force SC after school and later for Police SC, CR and FC, Kandy SC, Up country and Sri Lanka.
Then some of the others who played top rugby were Z. M. Zarook, R. M.Lafir, Sunil Perera, Sunil Munasinghe, Gamage Ariyaratne, Lakshman Samarawijeya, D. G. Dayaratne, G. Chandra, M. Rizvi, Nimal Malagamuwa, Athula Manchanayake, Anil Jayasinghe, Kumar Meeriyagala, Sumedha Malawana, Dilan Ekanayake, Danushka Pushpakumara, Saliya Kumara, Nilan Ekanayake Pradeep Wilson Jason Dissanayake Radeesha Seneviratne, Chanaka Chandimal, Charith Seneviratne, Kavindu Perera and Ashan Bandara.
By Hafiz Marikar