Kandy SC all out to retain league rugby title
Defending champion Kandy Sports Club can hold its head up after winning the first two games they played this season. In the first match they beat Army SC and in the second game beat CR & FC the third game is one 31st at Nittawela against Air Force SC. This is the only club in the game from outstation. An impressive team performance by the Kandy Sports Club side has helped them to be the only undefeated side left in the inter club rugby competition. Their rugby maintains an iron-clad grip on the game at all levels, which enables it to priorities the success of the team above all other clubs. The Kandy SC rugby team is more than just a band of brothers on the field, they are also very tangible. The representatives of their club gives the side an added spirit and togetherness which is hard for any opposing side to match. That spirit, together with the team’s proud history of success, helps to produce a kind of aura around the team.
Defending league rugby champions Kandy Sports Club determined to do well this season. They are under the watchful eyes of rugby chairman Lasantha Wijasuriya and led by Damith Disanayake. They are blessed with a talented side and coach Fazil Marija and assistant coach Tharaka Algama have done their best and also the team manager Kapila Silva. The committee headed by Mahes Weerasinghe with the backing of the sponsors give their best for the team. They are the Sri Lanka’s most successful rugby club, thanks to the players for putting this club on top in the rugby field. They have a record for being the most successful team since 1992 with the most number of wins in the league and knockouts.
Defending league champions Kandy Sports Club pulled off a dramatic 46 points to 8 win over Army SC in the first game and beat CR & FC in the second game which was a close game. In both the games it was Kandy SC’s powerful players who did their best to give their side the momentum and played attacking rugby. The Kandy SC side looked pretty well in the both games and are sure to continue the good work to retain the title.
The Kandy SC is the club with the most wins of the rugby league title and has been the most successful club in Sri Lanka Rugby scene, winning 22 league titles in the last twenty eight years in the period between 1994 to 2022, with the highest number of wins since the expanded competition commenced in 1950. The years they won are 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022.
Kandy SC is a club with a long and proud history. For this club it took 42 years to win a trophy and become almost an invincible force in the rugby field by ending the dominance of the Colombo based clubs. This club was founded in 1874 as Kandy Athletic, Boating, Cricket, Football and Dancing Club and after 14 years the name was changed to Kandy SC. After playing the first league competition in 1950 it was in 1994 they won the first trophy. For the first time Kandy Sports Club entered the final in 1954 under the captaincy of S.B. Pilapitiya but lost to CR & FC in the final and once again the following year 1955 under the captaincy of Jeff Macpherson, too they went down to CR & FC in the final. Then the next final was after 14 years in 1969 losing to CR and FC by 6-12.
This time Damith Dissanayake is the captain and they have a good set of knowledgeable ruggerites attending practices are skipper Damith Dissanayake, Nigel Ratwatte, Kavindu Perera, Srinath Sooriyabandara, Tharinda Ratwatte, Lasitha Attangoda, Heshan Kalhara, Tharindu Chathuranga, Anuruddha Wilvera, Yakoob Ali, Charles Praveen, Malitha Rashmika, Milan Weerasinghe, Lavanga Perera, Oshan Perera, Lakshitha Ranaweera, Thilina Bandara, Diluksha Dange, Chamika Perera, Uchitha Jayasooriya, S. Monishan, Sanushka Abeyawickrema, Bawantha Udangamuwa, Heshan Jansen, Chahura Soysa, Bawantha Dharmapala, Asiri Seneviratne, Rumesh Premathilake, Nimesh Premathilake, Sahan Wijesinghe, Dinal Ekanayake and Kavishka Bandara.
Rest of the fixtures are vs Air Force SC on Saturday 31st at Nittawella, Friday 8th January 2023 vs Navy SC at Nittawela, Saturday 14th vs Police Sc at Police Park, Saturday 21st vs CH & FC at Race Course, Saturday 28th vs Havelock Sc at Havelock Park. All matches are expected to kick off at 3.30 pm.