Leslie Ephraims of Havelocks fame

Sporting personalities with Ken de Joodt:

PERSONALITIES: Setting out from their beautiful home in Brisbane, Australia for a true 'sentimental journey' to their country of birth - Sri Lanka, former bustling wing-forward Leslie Ephraims of Havelocks and Sri Lanka rugby fame was bubbling with exuberance and passion for this resplendent island.

We met in the peace and tranquillity of a hotel room, where he and his dear wife Daphne were relaxing after an extensive two week tour of the island. Leslie belongs to an era of the almost 'forgotten' forties and 1950s!!

Presumably, 66 years ago more than half of Sri Lanka's present population was not born! Maybe a few of the 'older folks' living know him and know how enthusiastic people were at that time, about all sporting events, even 'real-live' horse-racing!

So 'Thank God' some of us are still alive to remember super talents of sportsmen of 'by-gone' eras, like Leslie Ephraims - to draw from their good examples and to appreciate their services to the country in sports, in society and to family - as he said, "I too believe, God blesses you to bless others!"

Before migrating to Australia in 1965, Leslie spent about 40 years of his life in Sri Lanka highly involved in many sports, while being a popular 'live-wire' at the Havelocks Sports Club and in his working role as an efficient Manager in Aitken Spence Shipping, Colombo.

Today, he looks fit and fine at the ripe 'young' age of 79 years and is now looking forward to his eightieth birthday on the 21st of January 2007 to receive the "O.B.E." (in mere jest he said, it is not the 'order of the British Empire', but it stands for "On Being Eighty"!).

Furthermore on the 15th of August 2006, Leslie and his dear wife Daphne (nee Syms) will celebrate their 53rd wedding anniversary in Brisbane. Having studied at St. Peter's College, Colombo he left at the tender age of 16 years, to join the Fleet of the AIRARM Royal Navy.

In later years, he 'captured' Daphne in Colombo and married her in 1953, while he was an Inspector of Police between 1949 and 1960. Leslie had as his bestman, another famous Trinity ruggerite Michael Schockman, who was known to 'shock the man' in the opposing three-quarter line with his fierce tackling!

Leslie captained the Police rugby team from 1955 to '60, but as the Police team did not participate in the Clifford Cup Tournament in those years, he was permitted to play for the Havelocks Club who were in the fray with other club sides, CR & FC, CH & FC, Kelani Valley, Dickoya, Dimbula, Uva and Kandy.

When the present Clifford Cup was introduced in 1951, Havelocks were the inaugural winners with Ian Labrooy as captain. Havelocks had the incredible record of winning all their matches, without a single point scored against them during the entire season.

Leslie played as a smashing wing-forward and was proud to be part of the unbeaten Havelocks rugby team, which boasted of some of the best rugby players Sri Lanka produced at that time... Ian Labrooy, Fred and Hugh Aldons, Dr. Larry Foenander, S.B. Pilapitiya, Alan Drieberg, Vernon Kelly, Bob Sourjah, Basil Henricus, Eustace Mattysz, Budgy Metzeling, Arthur Raymond, Ivor Bartholomeusz, Mervyn Ferdinands, Dr. Kenneth Gunewardene and Dicky Ernest were some of the great names Leslie could recall.

There was a time when Dimbula had a 'terrorising' third-row of bruising tacklers, known as the 3 'B's - Bean, Bousfield and Bretherton! Havelocks not to be outdone had a similar third row, the 3 'E's - Ephraims brothers, Leslie, Conrad and Desmond, who would triumphantly smother the opposition - to bite the dust!

While Leslie captained Havelocks in 1957, Conrad captained in 1960 and both brothers represented Ceylon in the All India Tournament in 1950 and 1960 respectively. Desmond, the youngest brother also played for Sri Lanka and went on to captain the Navy and Combined Services in the subsequent years.

Leslie was the first Havelocks player to be selected as a wing-forward to represent Ceylon against the British Isles team in 1950, along with Ceylon's Champion Sprinter Summa Navaratnam from the CR & FC, as a wing-three and Claire Roeloffsz from K.V. Club as half. Representing Sri Lanka in the All India Tournaments, he played alongside classy players such as Fred and Hugh Aldons, Basil Henricus, Eardley McHeyzer and Miles Christoffelsz.

On Friday 7th July, together with my wife Ester and a former 'Havies', sound second-row forward and a highly reputed rugby referee of the Seventies, Bentley Barsenbach went over to the Cinnamon Grand Hotel to accompany Leslie and Daphne to the CR & FC vs Havelocks rugger match at Havelock Park.

Leslie had been the Honorary Club Secretary from 1960 to 1965 and an active Sri Lanka rugby referee, who were popularly known then. But now, after leaving Sri Lanka 41 years ago and just visiting the club after 17 years, a few of his contemporaries were 'alive' to meet and greet them!

Nevertheless, the President of Havelocks, Wimal Senanayake and some of the senior members, former Presidents Gamini Fernando, Y.C. Chang, Lal de Silva, Michael Jayasekera, Benna Benedict and active members B.W.R. 'Tom" Thomas, Roshan Deen, Sampanthan warmly welcomed them.

At the end of an exciting game, Havelocks emerged victorious over CR & FC by 9 points to 5 points and a delighted Leslie was called upon to make the presentation of the Eustace Matthysz Trophy at the request of Havies President Wimal Senanayake and CR's President Ravi Balasuriya to the winners CR & FC, whose two match aggregate was higher than Havies.

Leslie and Daphne were abundantly happy and blessed when they were told by some 'Havies' supporters, that Leslie brought 'good fortune' to the club by his presence at this match! Leslie said he was indeed fortunate himself to see Havelocks win and to take his mind back to memories of many other super games they have seen in the past at Havelock Park.

In particular, the 1961 Clifford Cup final when Havelocks beat Dickoya by just two points with only a minute to spare.... as Leslie put it in his own words - "There was pin drop silence when Ken de Joodt was given the ball by the Havelocks captain Dr. Hubert Aloysius to kick a crucial penalty.

With only a minute of playing time left Dickoya wrongly assumed they had already won the game, leading by 9 points to Havelocks 8 points. From thirty metres mid-left of the posts, Ken coolly placed the ball on the mark ran up amidst vast jeers and put it over the cross-bar between the posts to thundering cheers - and the cup came back to the club after ten years! I will never forget it", said Leslie.

Back in Brisbane, there are three other outstanding rugby players Maurice de Silva, Mohan Sahayam and Conrad Ephraims, whom he knows of, who take delight in reminiscing about their fabulous playing days and still keenly follow Sri Lanka's progress in rugby.

After Leslie migrated to Australia in 1965, he continued to referee in Second Division matches in Melbourne and instilled a lot of discipline into the game, as he did in Sri Lanka.

In his opinion, Sri Lankan rugby players must improve on their fitness and skills to make up for their smaller Asian physiques, when compared to the big, burly Northern and Southern Hemisphere rugby players.

Take the Aussies as an example, who keep themselves totally fit to go after the ball and being absolutely thorough in their basic skills of purposeful running, good handling of the ball to beat the opponent.

A solid defence with powerful tackling and perfection in all forms of kicking are absolutely essential. Good words of advice from a versatile sportsman Leslie Ephraims, who said he and his wife Daphne will be back on another visit shortly, God willing!