Kandy SC confront CH on Sept. 2

Ranjeeva SENEVIRATNE

Defending champions Kandy Sports Club will face a strong challenge from Navy Sports Club, Havelocks and CR and FC when the Caltex Knock-out Rugby Tournament for the Clifford Cup kicks off on September 2 (Friday) with the game between Kandy SC and CH and FC at Bogambara.

The lads from Kandy won the Clifford Cup for the first time in 1992 by beating Police by 22-9 in the final under the leadership of Maurice Joachim. They made it two in a row by edging out CH and FC by 18-16 in the 1993 Clifford Cup final.

After being knocked out in the semi-finals in 1994 the lads from Kandy came back storming to wrest back the trophy in 1995 led by Saman Kotalawala by beating CH and FC in the final.

They made it three in a row by beating CR and FC 7-6 (1996) and 18-6 (1997) before the tournament was scrapped in 1998.

When the tournament was revived in 1999 Harris Omaris Kandy SC team bagged the Clifford Cup by edging out CR and FC by 21-18 in the final. The lads from Kandy have reigned supreme in the Clifford Cup tournament by winning it ten times in the last eleven years except in 2006 when they withdrew from the tournament when CR led by Pavithra Fernando won the Clifford Cup with a resounding 37-5 win over Havelocks.

Kandy’s best performance in a final was in 2004 when they beat Havelocks by the staggering margin of 51 points to 20 in the final at Nittawela. Navy stormed into the final last year by overcoming CR and FC in the semi-final in extra time by 19-12 before losing to Kandy SC (11-26). It was the third time the sailors had entered the final having come out second best to Havelocks (3-15 in 1976) and CR and FC (3-6 in 1989).

CR and FC which has won the Clifford Cup on 14 occasions emerged runners-up to Kandy SC for three years in a row from 2007 to 2009 while Havelocks last bagged the Clifford Cup way back in 1981 when it was awarded to the league champions and since then have emerged runners-up thrice losing to Police (16-22 in 1985), Kandy SC (20-51 in 2004) and CR and FC (5-37 in 2006) in the finals.

QUARTER-FINALS

September 2 (Friday)

(a) Kandy SC vs CH and FC at Bogambara Stadium

(b) Havelocks vs Army at Royal Sports Complex

September 3 (Saturday)

(c) Navy SC vs Police at Royal Sports Complex

September 4 (Sunday)

(d) CR and FC vs Air Force at Royal Sports Complex

SEMI-FINALS

September 10 (Saturday) - Winners of (a) vs winners of (d) at Bogambara September 11 (Sunday) - Winners of (b) vs winners of (c) at Royal Sports Complex September 17 (Saturday) - Final at Royal Sports Complex