Vidyartha going great guns this season

Hafiz Marikar

Undoubtedly the most glamorous and much looked forward to Vidyartha College ruggerites have made their school, themselves and the Kandy district proud during this year’s Group ‘B’ Schools Segment inter-school rugger competition heading the points table.

They have very successfully accumulated a score of 844 points in eleven games. They scored a massive 210 points against St. John’s College.

After many seasons of dismal performances, Vidyartha College this season has performed well in the Segment ‘A’ and ‘B’ division they have redeemed some of their lost prestige. Looking back at a few seasons gone by, in 2007 they dominated the ‘B’ division and this year thanks to their veteran coach Anil Jayasinghe they have become the table leaders.

Vidyartha College attracts talented ruggerites who are able to pursue the sport in a big way. A school capable of matching leading rugby playing schools. They came into rugby in 1963, before the school tournament and had fixtures with all the leading rugby playing schools in the country and created major upsets on many occasions with some stunning victories against reputed schools.

This season they beat D.S. Senanayake by 43-7, Zahira 51-0, Mahanama 37-36, C.W.W Kannangara 63-0. St. Sylvester’s 64-11, St. Anne’s 136-0, Panadura Royal 36-11, Ananda (1st leg of the Gopallawa Shield) 43-11, Prince of Wales 36-11, Lumbini 36-31, St. Johns 210-0 which gives them a total of 844 points against 118 points.

Their vice captain Jason Dissanayake, who plays as no. 8 has scored 195 points, with 33 tries and 15 conversions and centre three quarter Danushka Thalwatte has pocketed 166 points, from 34 tries and 12 conversions.

The team was made out of players like Amith Bandara, Eran Samarakoon, Ishara Shakila, Lakmal Herath, Dilshan Gunarathne, Lahiru Rathnadiwakara, Ayesh Galawela (Captain), Heshan Saumya, Mahesh Rathnayaka, Himashana Ranawake, Danula Perera, Jason Disanayake (vice captain), Harsha Silva (Forwards), Chamath Fernando, Thilina Kumara, Ashan Bandara, Aravinda Ekanayake, Supun Disanayake, Kasun Bandara, Danushka Thalwatte, Kavindu Perera, Isuru Lakmal, Chathura Wanigasekara (Backs).

They do not have a ground for their practices, the pint sized ground at Nittawela is being developed, and they do little bit of practices at the Nittawela Grounds and the Municipal Play Grounds.

This school has produced many ruggerites who have brought honour and fame to their alma mater, they are T.B. Wijesinghe who first played for Kandy Lake Club and later for CR & FC, and Sri Lanka, George Jayasena played for Kandy Lake Club, Uva, Kandy SC Up-Country and Sri Lanka in the 1970 Asiad in Bangkok, his son is the present Havelock’s SC captain, Viper Gunaratne snr, Air Force, CR & FC and Sri Lanka against Blackheath RFC, and All England, Charles Wijewardene - Air Force, CR & FC, Police and Sri Lanka place kicker who was an automatic choice for the national team from 1974 to 1978, Nimal Malagamuwa played for Kandy SC and Sri Lanka as scrum half, Sunil Perera the Police scrum half who donned the Sri Lanka jersey at the Hong Kong Asiad in 1972, Sunil Munasinghe - Kandy SC, Up Country and Sri Lanka, Athula Manchanayake - Kandy SC and Sri Lanka donned the Sri Lanka jersey in the 1982 Asaid in Singapore, P.B. Pahindaratne the Navy scrum half toured Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei with the National team in 1989, Saliya Pushpakumara - Havelocks SC, Kandy SC and Sri Lanka. Sunil Serasinghe played for Air Force, Kandy RFC, Kandy SC, Uva, CR & FC, Up-Country and for Sri Lanka Presidents XV, W. Sumathipala played for CH & FC, Z.M. Zarook played for Kandy Sports Club, Ajantha Samarakoon who played for Kandy SC, Police and Sri Lanka started his rugby at this school, Laskhman Samarawijeya Kandy SC and Up-Country, H.G. Ariyarathne Kandy SC, Kandy RFC, Dimbulla AO and Up-Country, G. Chandra - Army and Sri Lanka Presidents XV, Lakshman Dullewe Kandy SC, D.G. Dayarathne Kandy SC and Police, Saman Edema Kandy SC , Anil Jayasinghe Kandy SC and Up-Country, the present coach, Chandima Amodoru Kandy SC, Sisira Weerakoon Kandy SC and Police, N. S Nanayakara Kandy SC, T. Ettipola, S.K. Vedamulla, D.N.K. Meeriyagala, Lalith Weerakoon, Kethi Ranaweera, Piyal Nawarthne, S. Navarthne, Sisira Weerakoon, Agbo Ratnayake, P.K. Serasinghe are some of the names which came to mind.

Vidyartha College came into the rugby scene, due to the efforts of Old Trinitians like S.G. Mediwake, K.A. Perera and T. Muthiah, who were on the staff and the principal of that time A. Athuda gave his fullest support and it reached its present status mainly because of the guidance and patronage extended by Principals A. Athuda, D.B. Dissanayake, P.M.L. Banda, the POG’s and MIC’s like Lt. Col. M.B. Nugawela, T. Muthiah, Sarath Wanigasekara, A. Wijesinghe and Z.M Zarook.