Sourjah – chief guest at ‘Bradby’

S.M. Jiffrey Abdeen – Kandy Sports Correspondent

Trinity College captain of 1975 and rugby lion Rohan Sourjah now domiciled in New South Wales, Australia will be the Chief Guest at the First leg of the 69th Bradby Shield Encounter between Trinity College and Royal College which will be played at Pallekele on Saturday, June 1st.

“We hold the proud record of being the only father and son Trinitians of having captained the school at the Bradby Shield matches and also were awarded the Rugby Lions said Rohan Sourjah from ‘Down Under’.

It must be recalled that Robert Sourjah captained the first Shield match for Trinity in 1945 which the Kandy school won by an aggregate of 6-3 (0-3 and 6-0). It was 3 points for a try or a penalty and 5 points for a goal at that time. Robert’s son Rohan captained Trinity in 1975 and Royal College won this series by an aggregate of 34-14 (13-11 and 21-3). Robert who later became a medical doctor is now nearing his nineties is the oldest Trinitian to have played in the Bradby encounters and still among the living besides being its first captain.

Rohan Sourjah recalling said that it may have been possible that though elected captain of the rugby team, he may have never played for Trinity as its captain if not for a unbelievable successful treatment by a local Veda Mahattaya (Ayurvedic doctor). I was injured in the practice match against CR and FC ‘Bees’ and missed the first three matches and during that period No. 8, Sen Yu Suaan led the side admirably.

I did not want to be a bench captain and was on the verge of handing over the captaincy to him. Then this miracle cure by the Veda Mahattaya took place and I was back again in the rugby field leading the side for the rest of the season.

We played nine matches won seven and lost two both to Royal College. The results of other matches were beat Wesley College 59-0, beat Vidyartha College 56-0, beat Zahira College, Gampola 64-0, beat Ananda College 46-0, beat St. Anthony’s College 38-3, beat St. Thomas College, Mount Lavinia 14-12, beat St. Peter’s College 8-7, lost to Royal College 11-13 and 21-3.