Dimbulla withdraws from President’s Trophy

Ranjeeva Seneviratne

RUGBY: Dimbulla which was scheduled to confront the mighty Kandy Sports Club in the second quarter-final of the Caltex-President’s Trophy Rugby Tournament on September 15 has pulled out from the tournament which will be worked off from September 14 to 23 at Longden Place.

Dimbulla who were invited to take part in the tournament after Old Zahirian withdrew from the tournament due to the Ramazan fasting season have indicated their inability to take part due to insufficient time to prepare for the tournament according to the Secretary of the SLRFU Fazal Mohamed.

Kandy SC has drawn a bye and will take on the winners of the first quarter-final on September 14 between eight time champions CH and FC and Police in the first semi-final on September 19 at Longdon Place. Runners up of the Caltex ‘A’ Division League and Clifford Cup knock-out Tourney CR and FC will confront Sri Lanka Army in the third quarter-final on September 15 at Longdon Place while four times winners Havelocks will lock horns with Air Force in the fourth quarter-final on September 16 at Longden Place.

The semi-finals will be worked off on September 19 and 20 at Longden Place with the final scheduled for September 23 at Longden Place. The tournament will be sponsored by Chevron Lubricants Lanka Limited.

Kandy Sports Club which has already clinched the Rugby Double by bagging the Caltex ‘A’ Division League and Clifford Cup will go all out to clinch the Rugby Triple by winning the President’s Trophy which they won for three successive years from 1995 to 1997 before surrendering the trophy to CR and FC when they lost the final by 26-30 to the Red Shirts in 1998 - the last time the tournament was conducted.

CH and FC has clinched the President’s Trophy for a record eight times during the period 1985 to 1994 including five in a row from 1990 to 1994 when the tournament was known as the Premadasa Trophy - CR and FC which won the trophy in the inaugural year (1977) by beating Army by 22-6 in the final have bagged the trophy on four occasions while Havelocks too have clinched it four times while the Sri Lanka Army have won the trophy twice 1979 and 1982.

The Schedule:

Quarter-finals

(a) CH and FC vs Police at Longden Place on September 14 (b) Kandy SC receive a bye (c) CR and FC vs Army at Longden Place on September 15 (d) Havelocks vs Air Force at Longden Place on September 16

(semi-finals)

(e) Kandy SC vs winners of (a) at Longden Place on September 19 (f) Winners of (c) vs winners of (d) at Longdon Place on September 20.

Final at Longden Place on September 23.