St. Sylvester’s College product Parakrama Ratnayake with wealth of experience in both the 15’s and the 7’s rugby will be leading Air Force in the inter club rugby. season He has played top rugby and he is a fine tackler and try scorer.. He learnt his rugby at St. Sylvester’s College, where he played in the years 2005/2006/2007. Later he played for CH and FC from 2010 to 2012, and in the year 2013 joined the Air Force, and played as a hooker, he is in the Air Force side from that year. He is a talented ruggerite with years of experience and in the year 2018-19 was the top try scorer and was selected to the national squad in the same year. During the last two seasons was a top try scorer.
This time the Air Force side is blessed with some top players and a good coach Asela Deshapriya, who is sure to guide the players well and make a good side. Air Force from the day they took up rugby have been doing well for the game. It was in 1961 Air Force SC together with Division ‘B’ teams from Police SC, Army SC, Navy SC and University were permitted to play alongside the Division ‘A’ clubs in the Clifford Cup competition. In 1972 Air Force were promoted to Division ‘A’ Sri Lanka Rugby Championship and by 1975 captained by Kandy product Shanthi Mendis they were victorious in 12 out of 16 games at the end of the season entering the final of the Clifford Cup and lost to Army SC by a whisker 3-4. Two years later in 1977 led by scrum half Ronald Rodrigo they emerged runners up to HavelockSC in the ‘A’ Division League for the Clifford Cup.
During the 1980s Air Force SC produced a number of well-known rugby players including scrum half Tikiri Marambe, number eight Nalin de Silva,flanker Harsha Fernando, second row forwards Lofty Perera and Rex Anthony and stand-off Tony Wimalasuriya. In 1986 Air Force SC captained by Lakshman Caldera won the Clifford Cup, defeating League champions Police SC in the final with a score of 10 points to 8.
In 1990, the Air Force SC had to withdraw from the game due to the Second Eelam War. The club’s rugby revival took place in 1995 under their coach Uddaka Tennakoon, after an absence of four years. Air Force SC won the Plate championship for three consecutive years in 1998, 1999 and 2000. The club was runner-up in the Rugby Sevens championship three times in 2006, 2008 and 2010 and In the Clifford Cup knock-out tournament final in 2010 the Airmen gave a sensational display although losing 24-27 to Kandy SC at Bogambara under the guidance of coach Inthi Marikar. So, in the coming season under the leadership of Parkarama Ratnayake Air Force rugby side is sure to fly high and their first game of the season against Havelock SC on Friday the 1st December under lights at Havelock Park, which is going to be a good game.On 8th will play Navy at Rastmalana, 15thvs CR & FC at Longden Place, 6th Januarya 2024 vs CH & FC at Race Course, 12th vs Army at Ratmalana, 20th vs Police at Police Park, This time they are blessed with over eight senior players and their rugby chairman Gr. Capt. Subash Jayatilake is giving his best
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