Big day for SLRFU on Wednesday

Hafiz Marikar

Today was to be a big day for Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union. They were to hold their AGM to elect office-bearers for the year.

But sadly today's election has been put off for Wednesday the 11th at the same venue. The postponement was due to the present President Air Vice Marshal Roshan Gunatilake not being in a position to attend the election due to pressure of work.

SLRFU has a 131-year-old unbroken tradition, since the lingual rugby match was played in 1879. The historic meeting, the first ever took place at the Grand Oriental Hotel on August 10, 1908 with representatives from Kandy Sports Club, Uva, Kelani Valley, Dickoya MCC, Dimbulla ACC and Colombo.

There are many memorable moments which have taken place, and made every Sri Lankan rugby player tell his own unique story of the years gone by. With these thoughts in mind let us take a look at a few unforgettable events which have reshaped and reorganized the local Rugby culture.

Glory days - 1879 (June 28) - Formation of first Rugby Club in Ceylon, namely The Colombo Football Club, 1879 (June 30) - First Rugby match played between two selected teams, namely the Colombo Football Club vs The 1896 - The Colombo Football Club amalgamated with the Colombo Hockey Club to form the Colombo Hockey and Football Club, 1901 - Havelock Park opened, 1907 (September 12) - First International Rugby match played in Ceylon between the New Zealand All Blacks and All Ceylon at Havelock Race,

1911 - First Clifford Cup match played between All Ceylon and the Kandy United Services, 1915 - Havelock Sports Club was formed with Dr. V.R. Schockman as the president, 1926 - CR & FC were elected as an affiliated member of Ceylon Rugby Football Union - the first Ceylonese Club to obtain this status. In 1932 - Ceylon RFU XV won All India Cup at all India Rugby Football Championship.

In 1950 - Ceylon Rugby Football Union decided to play the Clifford Cup tournament among the clubs, the clubs which took part were Kandy SC, Dimbulla ACC, Dickoya MCC, Uva, Kelani Valley, Havelock SC, CR & FC and CH & FC, and it was Havelock SC who won the cup for the first time in 1950.

In 1960 - CR & FC were the first to make a overseas tour to Thailand. In 1973 - Tour of Sri Lanka by Athletic Club de Boulogne, 1974 - Ceylon RFU renamed to as the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) as it is presently known as, 1977 - SLRFU President's Trophy awarded for all teams that participated in the League Tournament, 1977 - Trinity College and S. Thomas' College - first schools to take part in an Overseas Schools Rugby Tournament.

Past Presidents who have held fort at the SLRFU, according to available records are 1952 - V.C. Kellart, 1953 - E.F.N. Gratien, 1959 - A.L. Loos, 1960-61 - J.W. Serasinghe, 1965-66-67 - W.D. Ratnavale, 1968-69 - Dr. K.B. Sangakkara, 1970 - Cdr. E.L. Matthysz, 1971 - Capt. W. Molagoda, 1972 - E.N. Vanlangenberg, Summa Navaratnam 1973 - M.C. Bostock, 1974 - Summa Navaratnam, 1975-76 - S.B. Pilapitiya, 1977-78 - Kavan Rambukwella, 1979-80 - Lt. Col. Mahinda G. Ratwatte, 1981-82 - Capt. William Mollegoda, 1983-84 -. N. Haji Omar, 1985-88 - Y.C. Chang, 1989-90 - Lionel Almeida, 1991-92 - Malik Samarawickrama, 1994 - Brig. J.P.A. Jayawardena (Chairman), 1995-96 - G.A. Fernando, 1997-98 - Dr. Maiya Gunasekera, 1999-2000 - Benedict, 2001-2002 - Comdr. Harsha Mayadunne U.S.P., 2003-2004 - Mohan Balasuriya, 2005-2006 - Priyantha Ekanayake, 2007-2008 - Nimal Lewke D.I.G, 2009 Interim Committee (Dr. Maiya Gunasekara), 2010-2011 - Air Marshal Roshan Gunatilake,

Asanga Chandana Seneviratne, will be uncontested for the post of President which will be held at the Waters Edge, Battaramulla and Kiran Atapattu, who is also the present Treasurer, too will be uncontested

Asanga a past pupil of S. Thomas College, Mount Lavinia, represented the school at the highest levels in cricket and rugby. After leaving college he played for the Colombo Cricket club (CCC) in the first division since 1988 to 1997. In rugby he turned out for the CR & FC and was the player at that time, with the club performing well. Played for the National team and later took up coaching of the CR & FC team, S. Thomas College team, Army team and the National 7s squad.

Thereafter, became a member of the SLRFU Council and Vice President in charge of Rugby Development.

At Wednesday's AGM the Vice Presidency was to be contested by Lasitha Gunaratne (Present Secretary SLRFU) and Mohan Samarakoon (Present President Central Province). Samarakoon has since pulled out of the contest.

The post of Secretary will be contested by Shane Dullawe and Rizly Illiyas. Given the licence, Rizly Illiyas, by virtue of his admirable contribution to the WPRFU as President, and a former National team Manager during that period earned him a tribute from all players as the best team manager in two decades. Under the circumstances it's the opinion of most of the Provincial Unions that Rizly has to be considered a worthy candidate for the Secretarial post 2012.

Shane has still to prove himself after his last stint with the SLRFU as Secretary. The SLRFU also hopes to form more rugby clubs and conduct a floodlit rugby tournament to attract more spectators. The Rugby Union will use Race Course grounds for the national team to practise and to build a hostel and a canteen to provide accommodation and meals for the national players. It will be nice, if they can also review the game at clubs like Uva first club from Up-Country to enter the Clifford Cup final, Dickoya MCC the second club to enter the Cup final and Dimbulla ACC became the first club to win the Clifford Cup and also KV (Kelanii Valley), did well.

Now these clubs are not touching the oval shape ball. If they can bring these clubs back it will good for the game.

Some of the golden moments of our rugby history - 1974 - Rugby Asiad, runners up under the guidance of late Col Bertie Dias and presidency of Summa Navaratnam, 1984 - Hong Kong Sevens - Bowl Champions under the coaching of Jeff Ratnam and presidency of Haji Omar, 1986 and 1987 came up to Bowl finals in Hong Kong Sevens coached by Ajith Abeyarathne, 1988 Dubai Sevens - Cup Semifinalist under Anton Benedict's coaching, 2001 under the guidance of DIG Nimal Lewke won the neighbours Cup championship in Malaysia, 2005 - Women's Asian 7s - Bowl Champions - Under Hisham Abdeen's coaching, 2007 - Rugby Asiad, Runners Up under Rob Yul and presidency of Nimal Lewke D.I.G, 2010 Asian 5 Nations 'B' division champions under Yohan Taylor. Sri Lanka were runners-up twice in 1974 and 2007 Asiad that is history.