Bid to promote rugby at Dharmaraja
Upananda JAYASUNDERA-Kandy Sports Special corr
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The members of the Old Rajans Rugby Association are seen
here. Seated (from left): S Deshapriya, Ajith Palihakkara,
Upul Thalagoda (President), Subodha Kalupe (Secretary),
Nishantha Silva. Standing from left: Nimal Fernando,
Chaminda Weerasinghe, Sanjaya Saparamadu, Deeshana
Wijesuriya, Anuradha Ekanayake and Saman Ratnayake. Absent:
Anura Kalinga, Suresh Ekanayake, Nilan Premasiri, Vajira
Wijesuriya (Treasurer), Dushantha Bandaranayake. Picture
by Upananda Jayasundera, Kandy Sports Sp. Corr
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Old Rajans Rugby Association has given all the encouragement and
sponsorship for Rugby at Dharmaraja College, Kandy and got good results.
The School Rugby season started in a low standard and at the end they
became All Island Champions in the Under 18 level with this
encouragement.
Going back to the history of Dharmaraja College Rugby, it started in
1972 and the first Rugby Captain was Gamini Jayasundera (now Major
General Cadet Corp) and the first Coach was D D P Alwis (former Air
Force Ruggerite and Cricketer).
During this short history of Rugby, Dharmaraja has produced so many
National players i.e, C S Fernando, S U Mendis, Daya Jayasundera, 'Muruga'
Jayaratne, Upali Ekanayake, Ajantha Samarakoon, Indrajith Bandaranayake,
Hemantha Yatawara, Radika Hettiarachchi, Sumedha Jayasinghe and Darshana
Etipola to name a few.
Old Rajans Rugby Association will organize an Annual Rugby Day and it
has planned to have matches on Class basis from Gr VI to Gr XIII and
each class Champion will be awarded a Trophy and the final match will be
played between the School XV and Old Rajans XV.
This match will be played for the Gamini Thomas Memorial Trophy. The
late Gamini Thomas was a former Captain of the School.
These tournaments will be held in due course, stated the President of
the Rugby Association of Dharmaraja, Upul Thalagoda after consulting the
school authorities. |
