S. Thomas', Royal and Trinity unite to spread splendour on the grass

by Sharm de Alwis

"Welcome to rugby in sunny Sri Lanka," averred the Charismatic Chandrishan Perera with the touch of humour that is his signature style.

We were gathered in vast numbers to take in the spectacular 'Sundown, Tagdown'. In his element as the quintessential commentator, Chandrishan yet did not have the occasion to come out with his now famous 'bring it back and put it in the cupboard' when a putrid kick was taken. And he never could say 'home and dry' when a try was scored, sliding in the slush.

The packed vehicle park gave us the first hint, nay, portent of the enormous spectatorship that would be in the pavilion. There was no room to push a bicycle in.

We were at Longden Place, the Twickenham of Sri Lanka's rugby and the gathering of the three storms were not like Katerina, Rita and Wilma.

These were home-spun and name Royal, Trinity and Thomas', the Saint in the manner of Friar Tuck.

The patch of 100 metres by 60 metres was to be the eye of the storm.

But we soon learned that though the spirit was ever so willing the flesh was decidedly weak what with the spreads like tractor tubes around their navels to which they fondly refer as bands of muscle.

None, not one, has improved since he last played for his school and we who are in the September of our years looked back over our shoulders and had a mental frolic as these enthusiasts slowly but surely now getting rather long in the tooth, pranced in their last spasms of exuberance. And we reflected with apologies to A.P. Herbert:

The days of our youth we well remember

When all was jolly; zest and fun

When all our limbs were supple and tender

Did we say all? - Well, all but one

The days of our youth are well night o'er

Our days are numbered, our race is run

Now all our limbs are stiff as ever

Did we say all? - Well, all but one

The ground conditions were perfect for the type of game that was dished out in gay abandon and with poetic justice, each school had its wins as well as the losses.

The girls of Slimline added a touch of colour and vivacity and did they not play a heady game to beat the girls of the CR & FC outfit!

The referees were in full force, spearheaded by IRB ref Dilroy, Shamrath, Nimal, Shanaka and Thomas. Their was an easy task because the games were played in the spirit that encapsulates boys of the three schools.

The carnival pith and sap could not be doused by the inclement weather and in fact it helped the players to revel, mudlarking in a version of slide, point, slid on the sodden grass; only we couldn't spread our wings on the lawn but the F&B stalls had brisk sales because rugby types ar hefty eaters.

Quentin Israel, the chief guest, was heralded in with the pomp and pageantry deserving of the man who has done so much for rugger at S. Thomas' as well as his Alma Mater Trinity.

I am totally aware that his contributions have been beyond the coaching and building of cracker-jack teams in which he won 43 games on the trot for STC and 5 out of 6 Bradbys.

Having won the first 'Leg' against hostile predictions he was faced with crippling injuries to his two stars, captain Prasanna Jayawardena and Vice Captain Suren Hulangamuwa within ten minutes of the start of the return game.

Quentin and Chrysantha Perer were given awards for outstanding contributions to Thomian rugby. Mahinda Ratwatte, the Trinity captain in the year STC launched their rugby voyage graced the occasion. Thomian captain of '55, S.D. Kumar Anandan is in Australia and the Royal captain C.V. 'Puggy' Gooneratne is no longer with us.

The event was take-off from Royal's Inter-School Tournament two years ago for Old Boys of '72-'78 and was spear-headed by the Class of '94 of STC in conjunction with the OTRFU with Trinity's scrummage and the Royal Union giving muscle in thought and deed. It is Trinity's turn, next.