Darrel Wimalaratne - the unsung hero

S. Sivendran

RUGBY: With the curtain coming down on Club Rugby and the schools rugby tournament occupying centre stage, it is time to go down memory lane and recount the past rugby players of schools and clubs who had contributed immensely to this sport.

The first name that comes to my mind is Darrel Wimalaratne, the unassuming ruggerite who captained St. Peter's College, CH and FC and represented the Low Country in the Capper Cup and Sri Lanka.

Darrel, a naturally talented sportsman was a dashing fly half and a centre three quarter who began his rugby career at St. Peter's College, Bambalapitiya and represented his Alma Mater from 1963 and captained his school in 1965, playing in the pivotal position of fly half.

He had in his young side some brilliant rugby player's such as Royden De Silva a towering 2nd row forward who went onto captain Havelocks SC and also represented the country in rugby and basketball.

Aubrey Patternott, another giant of a 2nd row forward who later turned up for Havelocks, Dimbulla, CH and FC and the Ceylon Barbarians now living in Australia. Ronnie Gunaratne, a hard running centre three quarter, who later played for Uva and CR and FC and now the vice president of CR and FC.

He is also a top cricket administrator with Sri Lanka Cricket, Hamzie Hamid, a public schools sprint champion who played as a flying winger, and went onto captain the Combined Schools Team, and later played for CR and FC and Ceylon. He is now a successful businessman in Canada, Rodney Patternott, a well built centre three quarter, who later played for Havelocks, CH and FC and The President's XV against foreign teams.

He coached St. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia and was an 'A' Division referee, he now lives in Australia. Rajan Rajendran, a fast-breaking wing forward and a hard tackler who continued his club rugby at CR and FC and Kandy SC, D. Wakista, another crash tackling wing forward who later played for the University and Havelocks SC. Dr. Paramsothy, a well built wing forward who later played for the University, CR and FC and Air Force, now practising in Canada, M. Jainudeen who was selected to play as scrum half for Colombo Schools, Durand Beckmeyer, A fast winger now living in Canada, Micheal De Neise, a sturdy prop forward who later migrated to Australia and became a Professor and passed away young, Chris Razel, another Strong prop forward, Chelliah Nirmalendran, a dusky hooker who is now in England, James Alagaratnam, an exciting No. 8 now living in Canada, Mervyn Fernando, a lock forward now in the USA.

Everad Hoffman, a solid full back with a safe pair of hands who represented, Colombo schools and Havelocks SC now in Australia, Dennis Killerly another centre three quarter now living down under in Australia, and Harold Jansz, another young wing forward. This champion team was coached by the legendary Archibald Perera and was hailed by all as the best St. Peter's rugby team since the second World War.

Darrel also played for Colombo Schools and Combined Schools as a fly half. Darrel Wimalaratne having left school played first for Havelocks SC and then joined the CH and FC and went onto be the third Ceylonese Rugby captain after Lorensz Pereira and Brian Baptist CH & FC, earlier was exclusively an ex-patriate club.

Darrel, in the CH and FC team he captained, had some great ruggerites such as Lorensz Pereira, Brian Baptist, Kumar Bastianpillai, Lakshman de Chickera, Maurice Marinnon an Australian Jizwi Nizar, John Burrous, Dave Huntington and Michael Hawke to name a few.

Darrel represented the Low Country, captained by Hadji Omar another Peterite and CR and FC player who later captained Ceylon for several years, which had players of the calibre of Ali Ratnapala, Dr. Tony de Silva, Sari de Silva, Bumpy Jayasekara, Glen Van LangenBerg, Ronnie Schokman, Omar Sheriff and Geoff Rutnam. The Up Country team was captained by Rohan Abeyasundara, a tall and hefty forward from St. Peter's College who went onto represent the country.

Darrel Wimalaratne was selected to play for Ceylon against England. Haji Omar captained this national side which included Jeyer Rodriguez, Rohan Abeyasundara, Royden de Silva, Darrel Wimalaratne and Didacus de Almeida (All from St. Peter's College).

Darrel's cricket career

Darrel Wimalaratne was also an outstanding cricketer who played for St. Peter's College as an opening batsman and opening bowler and went onto captain his alma mater and had in his team Ronnie Gunaratne, Rodney Patternott, Aubrey Patternott, C. Nirmalendran, Everad Hoffman, and Mervyn Fernando to name a few. He also played for Sri Lanka Schools team under the captaincy of Anura Tennekoon.

Having left school he joined Colts Cricket Club and then Colombo cricket club and played with distinction. He is also a qualified level 2 cricket coach, accredited to the Australian Cricket Board and has functioned as head coach of St. Peter's College which won the schools limited over championship, and later Tamil Union and Sinhalese Sports Club with success.