Rugby star Charles Wijewardena remembered

Farook Lantra

The fourth death anniversary of former Vidyartha, Air Force, Police and Sri Lanka full back DIG Charles Wijewardena fell yesterday.Wijewardena who turned out for Vidyartha in 1965 and 1966 joined the Air Force in 1968 and turned out for the Airmen from 1968 to 1972.

In 1971 when Air Force withdrew from competitive rugby he turned out for CR and FC and played a key role in the Red Shirts success. He contributed 36 points to CR and FC’s record 115 nil win over Kelani Valley in a Clifford Cup final round match and obtained 12 points in CR’s 27-6 victory over Police in the Clifford Cup final.

He had the honour of captaining Air Force in 1972 when they entered the ‘A’ Division rugby arena and in the following year (1973) he joined the Police and turned out for the Policemen as a centre playing besides Sam Samarasekera and played a vital role in helping Police to hold Army to a 19-all draw in the Clifford Cup final with his superb place kicking.

In the following year (1974) he moved to the full back position and played for the Police till 1982 and steered them to victory on many occasions with his superb place kicking. During the five year period from 1976 to 1980 he contributed over 100 points each season. His best season was 1976 the year of the kicking duel with CR and FC’s Kumar Buell. The two place kickers stole the limelight that year with Wijewardena contributing 182 points to Buell’s 176.

He first donned the Sri Lanka Jersey at the Rugby Asiad in Colombo in November 1974 and contributed the only points for Sri Lanka in the final against Japan by firing across two penalties (6-44). He went onto represent the country till 1978 - the Rugby Asiad in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia being his final appearance.

In 1979 under the leadership of Charles Wijewardena the policemen clinched the Clifford Cup the symbol of rugby supremacy in Sri Lanka.

He was serving in Jaffna when LTTE terrorists gunned down him on August 4, 2005.