Ananda skipper Gayan - latest addition to CR and FC

Ranjeeva SENEVIRATNE

Rugby Last year's Ananda skipper Gayan Fernando has joined CR and FC and will turn out for the Longden Place Club this year. Fernando is an utility player who could play either in the second row or as number eight who represented Sri Lanka at the Youth Rugby Asiad in Lahore, Pakistan in 2005.

Earlier four other schoolboys of last year Isipatana skipper and Sri Lanka Sevens player Ashan de Costa, Trinity centre Kosala Tissera, Kingswood skipper Navin Wijetunge and Royal flanker Gayashan Wijesinghe joined the Red Shirts and will turn out for the club this year.

CR and FC will be captained by Sri Lanka player and ex-Isipatanian Anuradha Dharmatillake with Sri Lanka scrum half Zulki Hamid as his deputy. They will also have the services of the present Sri Lanka scrum half Amjad Buksh.

CR and FC emerged runners-up of the Caltex 'A' Division League Tournament last year and also clinched club rugby's richest prize - the Clifford Cup by beating arch rivals Havelocks by 37 points to five in the final.