Royal set for unique feat in U-20 Rugby League

Royal College, Colombo are set to create a unique piece of record in schools’ rugby when the 2022 Inter-Schools Under-20 League Tournament gets underway in Colombo and Kandy next week.

This year’s event will be of great significance as the prestigious tournament will be worked off after a lapse of two years.

However, this time the tournament will be even more important for the champion Royal College Under-20 Rugby Team as they are on the threshold of becoming the first team to retain the league title for four successive years.

In 2019, Royal equalled the previous feat set up by another champion outfit Isipathana College, who had earlier clinched the Under-20 League title for three years in a row in 1992, 1993, and 1994.

28 years after Isipathana had performed that feat, Royal are now in sight of improving that record and probably in search of more glory during the upcoming Inter-Schools rugby season.

No doubt, they have a huge task in their hands as they have drawn out in probably the toughest Group 1A where they will battle it out with the 2019 runners-up St. Joseph’s College, S. Thomas’ College, Trinity College, Kingswood College and St. Anthony’s College.

This means that Royal’s traditional Bradby Shield first-leg fixture against Trinity will also be a tournament encounter.

Meanwhile, Group 2A will comprise of St. Peter’s College, Wesley College, Isipathana College, Science College, Vidyartha College and Dharmaraja College.