Dharmaraja have produced top ruggerites in the past

On Sep 3, 2021

Dharmaraja College have produced some top rugby players and teams in the recent past. They first played rugby in the 1920’s and later gave up.

It was in 1970 that the Rajans first formed a rugger team and their first game was a friendly against Kandy SC.

In 1974 they presented the official team and this team was captained by Upul Thalagoda and coached by Lanil Tennakoon. Since then they have been on a good footing in rugby.

The Rajans have produced a galaxy of ruggerites and it was C. S. Fernando who first played the game at club level for Army SC, Defence Services and for Sri Lanka and also was a top class referee.

Some of the other players who did well in the game are Shanthi Mendis, Daya Jayasundra and Murga Jayarathne with all representing Police SC.

In the recent past, the Rajans have done well in rugby and the golden era for them was in 2013 where Rochana Hettiarachchi led the side to win the Inter-Schools League Tournament for the first time in their short history.

That winning squad included Pasan Bandara, Dulaksha Weerakoon, Charinda Kalinga, Gihan Jayasinghe, Dulantha Hiyarapitiya, Vihanga Nawalage, Hasmitha Karunatilake, Amila Weerakoon, Thilina Sampath, Janaka Wijesinghe, Lochana Fernando, Ishanka Wimalasuriya, Hashan Pilapitiya, Buwaneka Udangamuwa, Dilantha Madushanka, Lahiru Hettiarachchige, Pradeep Tharindu, Manushka Kumara, Viraj Weerasekara and Thilina Wijesinghe.

The team was coached by Radhika Hettiarachchi and in the previous year the side was coached by Hisham Abdeen.