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by S. M. Jiffrey Abdeen - Kandy Sports Corr.

Trinity College has got a new rugby coach from Australia in Geoffrey Garland who arrived in the island on Monday February 17 and got into business immediately by having a chat with the ruggerites at the Asgiriya Stadium the same evening.

Trinity's rugby really requires a prop after their dismal performance last year which compelled the Principal of Trinity College Prof. W. R. Breckenridge to comment in his Prize Day Report last Friday "Rugby Football to put it mildly was a most disappointing season. We lost the Bradby Shield with two record scores against us to the great disappointment of our supporters. We look forward to an improved performance this year with the enthusiastic support of the Rugby Scrummage under its Chairman Ravi Balasuriya, a Rugby Lion himself."

Geoffrey Garland is a former Principal of a school and top grade rugby coach and cricket coach from Australia who has produced outstanding ruggerites in that country.

The visit of Geoffrey Garland to Trinity was possible due to the efforts taken by the Rugby Scrummage of Trinity College and the Trinity College Old Boys Association in Australia, particularly in New South Wales. This move was initiated by former Trinity Lion Dilip Kumar now domiciled in Australia and is a Director of the Australian Rugby Union and Chairman of the New South Wales Rugby Union. He is the owner of Kumar Group of Companies - agents for Holden cars.

Geoff Garland was accompanied by former SLRFU Secretary and Army and Sri Lanka ruggerites Jayantha Weerasinghe, Ravi Balasuriya and D. Sivasubramaniam and introduced to the Principal of Trinity College. The Secretary of Kandy Sports Club and Trinity Rugby Lion Iswan Omar has pledged full support for this and make available to the College what ever they are in need. Under Iswan Omar's guidance Kandy SC has started a Mini Rugby programme to popularise the game among the kids.

Iswan Omar said that the Trinity College OBA in Australia will be sending rugby gear like rugby balls, tackling shield, tackling bags and other items and this is likely to arrive in Sri Lanka by next week. Others in Australia who were instrumental in arranging the visit of Geoff Garland are Dr. Robert Soujah, Rohan Sourjah, Rodney Geddes, Brian Fernando, Mohan Sekeram, Dilip Kumar, Kalu Jayantha Weerasinghe.

With the arrival of the Australian born rugby coach, Trinity's rugby fortunes should soar high and Trinitians are hell bent on regaining their pristine glory as they were often referred to as the 'Thoroughbreds' of local rugby.

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