Kandy SC out to make a clean sweep this year

S. M. Jiffrey Abdeen, Kandy Sports Corr.

Glamour boys of the local rugby scene, Kandy Sports Club will not only make an all out effort to win all the trophies they won last year but also will be determined to make a greater impact at the forthcoming Caltex Premier League inter-club rugby tournament which is due to commence shortly.

The dominance of Kandy Sports Club in the local rugby scene is that they have won the League for seven years in a row from 2001 and the Clifford Cup knock out tournament 13 times since 1992. They have been triple champions many times and in addition to this they have also won the inter-club rugby sevens many times. They are the current holders of both the league title and the Clifford Cup knock-out title.

Their dominance of the local rugby scene started in 1992 with the crossing over to the hill capital of a number of rugby players from CR and FC along with the sports benefactor Malik Samarawickreme. Some of these players had their roots in Kandy.

Rugby legend Priyantha Ekanayake, Lakshman Ekanayake, Imthisan Marikkar, Leroy Fonseka and more than the cross over, it was return home by these players. Joining hands with them were the Fijians Kitioni Ratrudradra, Bati Penia, Valimoni Sarala and New Zealander Tony Greanny. What a transformation to the club they made, making an 'also ran' club a formidable unit. The very mention of Kandy Sports Club was enough for spectators to throng in their hundreds wherever they played.

Many may not know that in 1991, Kandy Sports Club, performed so poorly that they had to play a relegation match against Petersons and win to remain in the 'A' division. A sports benefactor Malik Samarawickreme has been the god father of Kandy Sports Club and has played a major role in putting up grandstands, pavilions, terraces and the playing field has been done up twice.

Early this year the existing grass was uprooted, the playing area levelled and tapered to 1 to 100 gradient and planted with Bermuda grass and the work entrusted to the experienced Victoria Golf and Country Resort under the watchful eye of experienced planter and consultant Tony Witham. The ground looks beautiful like an English country green.

With an image such as that Kandy Sports Club bill go into this year's inter club rugby season. They have already given out threatening signals to other clubs by winning both inter-club Dialog Rugby Sevens played in Kandy and Colombo.

The mantle of leading the rugby giants this year falls on the shoulders of that fierce tackler and had running flanker Old Trinitian and former national player Sean Wijesinghe who is an able leader with the ability to get the best out of his players with his tactful ways.

A very good player in the loose and he has formed a deadly combination with his co-flanker Dilip Selvam. When this duo is in form, the scoreboard keeps mounting.

Kandy Sports Club perhaps has the most number of national players and some of them are often seated in the bench such is the strength of the Kandy side. Almost all of them have played for the national team in both versions of the game.

This season Kandy will miss the services of their brilliant full back and drop goal specialist Nalaka Weerakkody who has hung up his boots. They will also miss the services and expertise of their former player Indrajith Bandaranayake who is now domiciled in Australia. Winger Mohammed Jabbar, stand off Dev Anand and No. 8 Dushantha Lewke have all crossed over to CR and FC. But Kandy's larder is well stocked and equally good replacements are available.

Returning to the Kandy side is their former captain and national player, full back Radhika Hettiarachchi who may compensate Nalaka Weerakoddy's absence. Also making a comeback after a lapse of six years in the 'cold storage' is double international Dunstan de Silva who captained the side in 2000 and hung up his boots in 2001. It must have been strong will which would have made this former Sri Lanka boxer and ruggerite to return to the game at the age of 38. But their trainer D. U. M. Jayatillake says that he is playing well.

Also crossing over from CH and FC is second rower Safeer Jhan. Donning the Kandy jersey for the first time is flanker Tissa Weeratunga who has played club rugby in the United Kingdom but is an unknown quantity. He is on holiday in Sri Lanka. National stars Sanjeewa Jayasinghe, Fazil Marija, Jeewa Galgamuwa, Sean Wijesinghe, Sumedha Jayasinghe, Imran Bisthamin, Saliya Kumara, Chamara Withanage, Pradeep Liyanage, and Radhika Hettiarachchi will form the nucleus of the side.

The team will be once again coached by South African born and Irish Citizen Johann Taylor who arrived in Kandy on April 22. Experienced D. U. Mohotilal Jayatillake will be the strength and condition coach. Former captain and national player Lasantha Wijesuriya heads the Rugby Committee with Kapila Silva as the Manager who will turn out for the club if the necessity arises.

The Honorary Secretary of the Club former Trinity and national ruggerite Iswan Omar said that the team is a highly talented and a very disciplined one. They have the potential to give the other clubs a run for their money.

The rugby pool:

Props: Jeewa Galgamuwa, Piumal Manchanayake, Dunstan de Silva.

Hookers: Anuranga Walpola, Arvinda Udangamuwa, Eranga Swarnatillake, Ravindra Ekanayake.

Locks: Senaka Bandara, Sumedha Jayasinghe, Sean Wanigasekera, Kapila Silva, and Mohamed Hilmy.

Flankers: Sean Wijesinghe (captain), Dilip Selvam, Buddhi Talagampola, Tissa Weeratunge.

No. 8: Imran Bisthamin, and Shashika Jayawardena.

Scrum halves: Saliya Kumara, Nilfer Ibrahim, Prasad Chathuranga, Krishantha Rajapakse.

Fly halves: Fazil Marija, Roshan Wijesiri, Singithi Hettiarachchi.

Centres: Pradeep Liyanage (Sevens captain), Sajith Mallikarachchi, Chamara Withanage, Eranda Weerakoddy, and Singithi Hettiarachchi.

Wingers: Sanjeewa Jayasinghe, Sameera Silva, Dhanushka Pushpakumara, Kusal Rankothge.

Full backs: Radhika Hettiarachchi and Erande Weerakoddy.