CR field a star studded outfit

Ranjeeva SENEVIRATNE

The Ceylonese Rugby and Football Club along with Kandy Sports Club have dominated club rugby during the last 14 years.

During this period the Red Shirts emerged unbeaten 'A' Division League rugby champions in 1996 and 1998 and ended as runners up in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002 and for the last six years they came off second best to champions Kandy SC.

The Longden Place club also clinched club rugby's richest prize the Clifford Cup in 2006 with a smashing 37-5 win over Havelocks in the final while emerging runners up of the tournament in 1996, 1997, 1999, 2004 and from 2007 to 2009.

CR and FC also bagged the SLRFU President's Trophy in 1998 by beating Kandy SC (30-26) in the final and in 2007 when it was revived after nine years by overcoming CH and FC (22-11) in the final and also had the honour of clinching the premier champions trophy when it was on offer for the first time in 2002 with a superb 26-18 win over Police in the final.

This year their main ambition will be to clinch the Caltex 'A' Division League rugby title which has eluded them for the last eleven years. Last year the Red Shirts finished in second position by winning nine matches out of 12 losing both matches to Kandy SC (12-17) and (16-26) while also suffering a shock defeat at the hands of the strong Navy (3-18).

Former Sri Lanka skipper Dushanth Lewke has been entrusted with the task of captaining CR and FC this year. A fine attacking player and a solid tackler he has been an inspiration to his team-mates with his fiery loose play and will play in his pet position of number eight. Sri Lanka player Danushka Perera is assured of a flanker's berth while ex-CH and FC player Sharo Fernando and former Trinitian Idris Omar will battle it out for the other position.

Sri Lanka ruggerite Henry Terrence will be one of the prop forwards while Shehan Dimitri, ex-Kingswood skipper Naveen Wijetunge, Thomian and Sri Lanka youth player Sachin David and former Peterite skipper Haren Ariyawardena will fight it out for the other berth.

Two excellent line out jumpers and tireless players in the loose Ashen Karthelis and Ishan Noor, both of whom are national players will bind down in the second row with ex-Kandy SC and Sri Lanka lock forward Zaffer Jahn making a determined bid to oust one of them. The experienced Anuja Perera faces a fierce challenge from Sri Lanka and CH player Bilal Hassan and ex-Thomian Roshenka Kodituwakku for the hooker's berth.

Two Sri Lanka players Zulki Hamid and Srinath Sooriyabandara will battle it out for the scrum half berth with Dilan de Zoysa being the other player who could fit into this position.

The pivotal fly half berth will be filled by Nigel Ratwatte who played junior rugby for Trinity and later played for Mauritius in International rugby. Former Isipatana skipper and Sri Lanka under 20 skipper Niroshana Fernando is the stand by for this position. Sri Lanka ruggerites Lasintha de Costa, Ashan de Costa, Niroshan Karunanayake and former Royalist Shabbir Mohamd will fight it out for the centre berth.

Sri Lanka player Vishwamithra Jayasinghe is assured of a winger's berth while the quartet battling it out for the other position are Dinusha Chathuranga, Nuwan Chamara, Nishan de Silva and ex-Thomian Arjunan Manoharan. National player Reza Mubarak who has stood out with his safe collections and booming kicks to touch will be once again manning the last line of defence.

Former Sri Lanka skipper Viraj Prasantha and Bilal Yusuf are in charge of the coaching this year and are taking great pains to mould the Red Shirts into a champion outfit.