Ashan Bandara will lead Army Sports Club at the upcoming Nippon Paint Sri Lanka Rugby Major League XV-a-side Rugby Tournament schedule to commence on 1st December.
One of the best Fly Halves’s in the game at present, competing in his eighth year as a player, Ashan Bandra will have the services of 18 senior players who have donned the Army jersey for the past four years. Even though they had a low profile last season ending up seventh in the table, their outfit is a much capable one. With the inclusion of the new coach Shamly Nawaz they are striving hard to give their best and to be within the top four in the competition. The soldiers have a formidable three quarter line with skipper Bandara as fly half and two superb centres in Sudaraka Dikkumbura and Chandana Talwatte
Army is a service unit which believes in grooming players from the rural areas inducting to players through their regiments which is located Island wide. They never hire players from other clubs or take players from schools but most of their players are from Sabaragamuwa and Southern Province, who have never handled the oval sharped ball in their career before they joined the Army. Nevertheless, they are being transformed physically fit and later well trained to compete at the professional level tournaments. At present they possess a pool of 40 players.After Ronnie Ibrahim left them due to medical reasons, one of the best in the business and great team builder Shamly Nawaz has taken over as the head coach after accomplishing a successful tenure with Air Force where he transformed them to a major force last season.
Shamly also played a key role in boosting the St. Thomas, Mount Lavinia school team to end up in the top ranks at the end of last schools season. Along with his contract with Soldiers he has also taken over Zahira College, Colombo Rugby from the next season who was also instrumental in promoting them from the lower division few years back.. Dilan Soysa the former CR and National player will be their forwards coach.. Army will lock horns with CR & FC in their tournament opener at Panagoda their home venue.
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