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by Ken de Joodt

In Brisbane, last year, a mixed gathering of sportsmen who have emigrated to Australia many years ago, met at the beautiful club-style residence of former Sri Lanka (Ceylon) and Havelocks Rugby football captain, Conrad Ephraims.

With him was his dedicated wife Julia (who incidentally together celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary this year, on the 28th of July) and many others like Leslie and Daphne Ephraims, Maurice and Moira de Silva, Cecil and Jenny Bartholomeusz, Mohan and Penny Sahayam, Johann de Joodt, Michael and Margot Schokman, just to name a few.

Naturally, many minds go back home to Sri Lanka and then to reminisce the great moments of their playing days, whether it be school, club or country. So often, tears of joy were seen in their beaming eyes, as they relived the glorious past memoirs! Conrad and Julia's hospitality in 'Sri Lankan Burgher style' with Lamprais and kaludodol thrown in - was ample consolation to comfort all the sentimental hearts!

In 1963, Conrad and Julia emigrated to Melbourne first - and shortly after landing, produced their first son Michael! Conrad at present is 70 years old and Julia trails at 65 - but their 'youthful' looks are attributed to a "young-at-heart" attitude! Their son Michael has also excelled in sports, having in 1991/2 captained the Valleys District Cricket Club in Brisbane, where Ian Botham, Allan Border and Matthew Hayden played under him. He has also captained the Victoria under-19 rugby team on their tour to New Zealand in 1982 and has won the award for the Best Rugby Player in Victoria, as well as a Medal for District Cricket.

Conrad captained the Havelocks in 1959 and 1960, having played for St. Peter's College first and later joined the Havelocks Sports Club to play along with his two other brothers Leslie and Desmond. In 1961, he was a happy member of the 1961 team, captained by Dr. Hubert Aloysius, that went onto win the Clifford Cup Trophy in the final minute of the game against Dickoya, through a penalty put over by Ken de Joodt. Other members of that memorable team were Nimal Maralande, Dicky Jayatilleke, Michael de Alwis, Maurice de Silva, Quentin Israel, Gamini Weerasinghe, Y. C. Chang, Brian Jacotine, Edward Bartholomeusz, Richard Abraham, L. D. Sumanasekera, Ken de Joodt and Maurice Fairweather.

It was great fun playing alongside Conrad Ephraims - and it was even more stimulating in the club-house after the game! His humour was uncanny and his antics fantastic - like the "spin" he did in a rugby match against the all-powerful, "all-whites" CH & FC, where he was tackled and swung with the ball, but Conrad deftly clung onto the ball and in three spins he was over the goal line to score Havelock's only try in the match!! Havelocks genial coach Dr. Larry Foenander was on hand to remark that was the best try he has ever seen scored!

'When the going gets tough, the tough gets going' and Conrad was tough as nails when he got going on the rugby field. It certainly delighted the Havelocks president in 1959-1960 Stanley Livera (who was a great rugby referee too and has now domiciled in Melbourne since 1961), to see Conrad lead the Havelocks in 1959 to beat the CR & FC for the first time in ten years. Players of this calibre are so rare these days, playing hard and playing with true sportsmanship, that can only remain as an inspiration to the younger players of today. "Thank you" Conrad, for your fine contribution to rugby in Sri Lanka.

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