Lal Senaratne

Lal Seneratne passed away quite unexpectedly and suddenly after a very brief illness, in Auckland, NZ, a few weeks back. It was both shocking and saddening to me as my wife, Kumi, and I enjoyed his and his lovely Laotian wife, Noy’s (a pharmacist whom Lal met in the USA) warm and generous hospitality only a couple of months earlier.

They took us to Rotorua, the internationally acclaimed hot spring spa where we stayed the night as their guests and then on to his splendid Award-winning holiday house by the ocean, just one hour’s drive from Auckland. They were magic and exhilarating moments.

Lal was in great spirits and we spent hours reminiscing on our mutual overlapping sporting careers, particularly at Royal College. Lal was junior to me at Royal being with my younger brother, Bryan. So, I had known him for a good 70 years.

Our initial closeness grew from our involvement in sport, firstly in tennis and subsequently in rugby. Lal was a member of the Royal College Tennis Team that I captained in 1957. He together with Navin Gooneratne still holds an unbeaten record in public schools’ tennis, by winning the junior doubles and senior doubles championships for five successive years.

He won colors in three sports, namely tennis, rugby and badminton and half colors in cricket, being a reserve for the Royal-Thomian, which was his only disappointment in sports.

Lal’s real sporting love was rugby. At the tender age of 15 years, he played for Royal in the Bradby in the iconic 1958 team that won back the Bradby after a lapse of seven years. He played rugby for Royal for four years, winning the Bradby on three occasions. He played for Colombo schools for two years and was one of two schoolboys selected to play for the CR & FC in the Clifford Cup semi-final against Havelocks.

Lal and I became rugby Legends via a try in the 1958 Bradby game at Longdon Place. Lal was playing Left Wing and I Right Wing. During the course of that game, the ball moved at rapid speed from a line out on the Right Wing, with every Royal three-quarter handling and passing the ball at great speed and dexterity, ending with the ball in Lal’s hands on the Left Wing. He was about to be tackled, when he saw this “ghost” looming over his left shoulder. It was me.

I received his well-executed and timely pass and scored a spectacular Royal three-quarter movement try. I still vividly recollect that horror look in Lal’s eyes when he caught a glimpse of me, completely out of position. I will carry that “look” in his eyes forever with me. That instant magic moment of rugby ball exchange between Lal and I created a most intimate life-long bond between the two of us.

Our rugby association didn’t stop at Royal. After leaving school, Lal followed me to the CR & FC, although we never played for the club together, as I had gone overseas. On my return, the two of us comprised a small band of about six “Ceylonese” players to first play for the all-white CH & FC. That was in John Bank’s CH Team of 1965.

The following year, I became the first Ceylonese to captain the CH and Lal was by my side giving invaluable assistance both on and off the field. I remain ever grateful for his sincere, warm and friendly companionship during our halcyon rugby days.

Sport was undoubtedly Lal’s driving passion in his youth. However, on leaving school, Lal blossomed into his many other latent interests, such as in theatre by acting in and directing numerous plays and musicals. He was also a sports car enthusiast, racing at the Mahagastota Hill Climbs.

Lal’s work career was both varied and of high achievement. Returning from studying management overseas he dabbled in many portfolios, including being appointed Managing Director of the Hardware and Leather Corporation. He was charged with improving the profitability of the Corporation which was incurring heavy losses. This was achieved in 18 months.

Lal always wanted to live in NZ, the rugby fanatic country. He migrated to NZ and made it his home for almost 45 years. NZ proved to be an extremely successful country for Lal, working in many multinational companies, including as Deputy Managing Director, General Foods Corporation, Group General Manager-Administration, Heinz Watties NZ (part of the world’s largest food company) and Group General Manager-Hospitality, Ceramco NZ.

Lal’s insatiable thirst for even greater personal achievement saw him create his own company. He commenced a retail liquor chain, in spite of Lal never imbibing in liquor consumption during his entire life, knowing that NZ is second in the world for per capita liquor consumption. The company grew to be market leader within a short space of time, with 240 liquor stores and sales of NZ $360 million and a staff of over 400 – an incredible achievement in the space of a few years.

In June 2020, Lal sold his company to an Australian multinational with a condition that his son, Andre, remains as Operation Manager. His daughter, Tammy and husband recently took ownership of two McDonald franchises.

Dearest Lal, you have had a beautiful and successful life and achieved so much with your amazing range of talents, in sport, the arts and in business. You were also a singer of some repute having recorded a CD in the USA called Romantica, containing 14 romantic songs. Indeed a true reflection of the “lover boy”.

I find it difficult to fathom how one person can possess so many varied attributes and do so very well in each -a role model par excellence. However to me, the supreme quality that I admired most in Lal was his HUMILITY.

I consider myself incredibly privileged and blessed to have known him.

May His beautiful Soul Rest in Peace

Much Love

Lorenz Pereira