KIA boost for Royal Rugby

Thushan Jayasuriya

KIA Motors will once again sponsor the Royal College first XV Rugby Team for the second consecutive year.

The sponsorship gives KIA branding rights for the rugby jerseys of the senior rugby players of Royal College in all inter-school games and tournaments of the 2013 rugby season.

This year Royal's first XV will consist of seven coloursmen spearheaded by skipper Rimzi Jamaldeen, Vice Captain Shuaib Muthaliph, Nimshan Jayawardena, Yasuon Weerasooriya, Bhanuka Gamage, Azman Khan and Kaveen Perera.

Royal will be coached by South African Johan Taylor this year and are bound to give of their best.

Speaking on the occassion President of the Royal College Rugby Committee Jehan Canagaratne said that they appreciate the decision of KIA Motors for renewing their support to sponsor the team.It will be a tremendous boost for Royal to fare well in the coming inter school rugby season.

Last year the Reid Avenue School finished third in the Singer 'A' division segment one tournamentwhen they lost the last two matches of the league against Trinity (first leg) and Isipatana mainly due to their lack of fitness

Answering a question posed by the media whether Royal is taking part in this year's Schools knock out tournament, he said that Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association(SLSRFA) had decided to ban three schools St.Peter's, Royal and S.Thomas' this year for withdrawing from the tournament last year.

But he said that Royal will make an appeal to the SLSRFA to allow them to take part in the tournament as most of their ruggerites had to sit for the G.C.E. A/L examination last year.