Can D.S. Senanayake maintain its rise in school rugby?

By A Special Sports Correspondent

The fast-improving D.S Senanayake College rugby team will contest this season’s league rugby tournament with much hope while playing in group ‘A’ of Division 1 Segment 1. It was heartening to see the lads wearing the black and gold jerseys giving top teams in the league a run for their money. This side finished fifth in the league tournament last season and had memorable wins against St. Anthony’s, Kingswood and mighty S.Thomas’; D.S. Senanayake (DSS) wining this encounter against the Thomians by13 points to 10 in a thriller. In the knockout tournament last year DSS were losing quarter finalists.

DSS is now a force in rugby and has even started supplying a few players to division one rugby playing clubs in the island. The biggest rugby sensation they produced in recent times was Dinupa Senewiratne who was selected to represent Sri Lanka at the last Asian Games rugby sevens event. DSS will open the 2024 league rugby season with fixture against Dharmaraja on June 15 at Longden Place.

Zahira College Maradana finished the league season last year in sixth position.

Zahira College Maradana finished the league season last year in sixth position and even reached the semi-finals of the knockout tournament. This year they had an event to remember when they hosted the Zahira Centenary Sevens. Last season they had wins against Dharmaraja, Science and Vidyartha. However, despite all the good work done in the past and the name they have earned in rugby, Trinity College scoffed at them by not turning up at the venue for their league tournament game last season. Unofficial sources revealed to the rugby fraternity that Trinity was treasuring preparations for the Bradby Shield and dumped the Zahira fixture as unimportant. Zahira is a force in rugby when they can compile a decent team, but why top teams with a rich history in rugby doesn’t consider the school from Mardana to be put into their permanent fixture category (most permanent fixtures are played for a trophy in memory of a legendary figure) begs reviewing. The school from Maradana was one of the first to play rugby in this island alongside Kingwood and other schools must respect that. Zahira open the new rugby season with a game against Wesley on June 15 at their home ground in Maradana.

St. Joseph’s College Maradana has had its ups and downs in school rugby

St. Joseph’s College Maradana has its ups and downs in rugby, but of recent this institute has put its house in order where rugby is concerned. If one takes the last two seasons, the Josephians have been a force to be reckoned with. Last season the Josephians finished the league season in seventh place.

Last season they had mixed fortunes and produced wins against Wesley, Kingswood and most importantly defeated D.S. Senanayake College, but lost all their other matches. There was a big boy in their set-up last season in the likes of Navin Marasinghe who resembled a ‘terrier’ in loose play. But still the Joes were found wanting in their crucial encounters; especially against traditional rivals St. Peter’s who beat them by 16 points to 11. That match was a fixture of the schools’ knockout tournament and also served as their big match. Both Petes and Joes play each other in rugby for the Fr. Basil Weeratunga Shield. Their crowning moment in rugby last season came not in the league, but in the knockout tournament which was against St. Anthony’s; whom the Joes vanquished 57-0. That feat was recorded in the quarter finals of the schools knockout tournament. The Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association allowed all teams to follow rugby traditions and give away shields and trophies if two traditional rivals met in the league or knockout tournaments it conducted. The Josephians will commence this season with a game against Vidyartha on June 14 at Havelock Park.

S.Thomas’-the school by the sea- has played the game hard and clean.

The Thomians always vouch that the Blue-black magic ‘shall’ shine at rugby, but winning the league title has been a dream unrealised for quite some time. They finished the 2023 league rugby season in eighth place.

The school by the sea has played the game hard and clean and made great contributions to national and club rugby. From the little confirmed rugby records available so far this season, Yehan Bulathsinhalage leads the side and has Akesh Fernando as his deputy. The side is coached by former Sri Lanka player Anuranga Walpola. The Thomians won their matches against Wesley, Kingswood and Joes and lost all the other matches. The Thomians start this season against Trinity at Pallakele. The match is played for the Canon De Saram Shield. Trinity retained the shield last year with a 31 points to 20 win against S. Thomas’.

S.Thomas’ spends much money on rugby and their downfall could be being too focused on beating traditional rivals- Royal- in all sports encounters. It’s the same story when it comes to rugby. For all their efforts S. Thomas’ still finished as the losing side in this encounter last year with Royal romping home easy winners with a score of 26-6. If the Thomians widen their horizons in rugby there is so much glory to achieve.