12 teams vie for Royal Hockey League trophy

Twelve teams including some former Old Royalist national hockey players will compete in the fifth edition of Royal Hockey League (RHL) scheduled to be held on 6 April at Colombo International Astro Hockey Turf Complex. This is the highest number of teams playing in the unique tournament, out numbering the 10 teams in the last tournament held in 2023. 

Organised by Royal College Hockey Club (RCHC), the nine-a-side tournament is aimed at gathering all past hockey players, at both the International and National level, produced by the Reid Avenue School. 

Each team consists of 12 players aged between 16-62 years. For the first time in its history, the tournament will feature 36 past female hockey players from leading girls’ schools in Colombo: Bishops College (BC), Janadhipathi Balika Vidyalaya (JBV), Musaeus College (MC), and Visakha Vidyalaya (VV). 

The players are chosen through an auction with franchise-based ownership. Singer Sri Lanka has partnered as official jersey sponsor for the RHL-2025. 

The inaugural edition was held in 2013, followed by three more editions in 2018, 2020 and 2023. The tournament provides a platform for all past hockey players of Royal College to rekindle their old memories on the field while strengthening the hockey fraternity for upcoming events such as the Blue & Gold Hockey 

7s–the all island seven-a-side tournament. 

The tournament was the brainchild of former Sri Lanka National Coach Rohan Dissanayake, who held the realm of coaching at Royal College from 1991 to 2021. 

Teams: 

Royal Bulls: Navod Gunarathne (Captain), Manchitha de Silva, Dilan Kavinda, Dinuka Edirisinghe, Nadun Wijewardena, Annston Annesly, Muadh Mueen, Aathif Ahmed, Kulaja, Thesmi Gunasekara (MC), Bhagya Wijerathne (MC), Sandewni Chandrasiri (MC). 

Royal Tigers: Rumeth Jayasinghe (Captain), C.R.T. Matiwalage, Mohamed Inthikaf, Bhagya Goonethilake, Chirayu Wijekoon, Hejitha Almeida, Vimukthi Rajapakshe, Rukmal Jayasinghe, Haazim Dhailamy, Ronal Edirimanne, Dewmini Weerasinghe (VV), Lihini Ranaweera (VV), Anushika Withana (VV). 

Royal Cheetas: Lakshitha Perera (Captain), Malith Abeysekera, Asanka Maduranga, Lasitha Manchanayake, Sharala Goonethilake, Nadil Wijewardena, Kithmina Rathnayake, Aaqil Abdullah, Esther Daniel (BC), Devthilini (BC), Piyumi Almeida (BC). 

Royal Tuskers: Thisura Dakshina (Captain), Damitha Silva, Shihar Aneez, Maarlon De Alwis, Nadith Kudagama, Sandun Gajanayaka, Shahin Ahmed, Savain Karunasiri, Ahmed Fayaz, Lithma Kumaradasa (MC), Methni Ranaweera (MC), Lasanya Premarathne (MC). 

Royal Leopards: Harindra Bandara (Captain), Ravi Hettiarachchi, Aloka Amarasiri, Ashen Peiris, Sampath Subasinghe, Shazin Ahmed, Gamini Chandrasekara, PMTB Wickramesinghe, Senul Liyanage, Sulaiman Shihar, Anjani Koshila (VV), Taranya Weragama (VV), Miuru Kariyawasam (VV). 

Royal Wolves: Sihath Dasanayake (Captain), Viraj Lakmal, Aadhil Imthiyas, Himsara Caldera, Induwara Ranathunga, Thanweer Ahmad, Nehan Wijayanayake, Ashvin Wettasinghe, Bhagya Fernando (BC), Punitha Rashmi Ramanayake (BC), Anika Tennekoon (BC).

Royal Lions: Rivisha Marambage (Captain), Minol Fernando, Nelaka Wedagama, Anuk Kaveeja, Sachithra Malshan, Rouzan Umaru Lebbe, Geesath Bathisa, Dilsara Prabath, Chanalee Keerthima (JBV), Sanduni Gimhani (JBV), Subodha Jayasinghe (JBV). 

Royal Zeebras: Kevindu Dharmarathne (Captain), Thushara Hettiarachchi, Senuda Weliwatte, Helawikum Athauda, Vinol Rashmitha, Mohamed Hanas, Rashmidu Bandara, Rumal Jayasinghe, Shamael Shakir, Nishali Dahanayaka (JBV), Chalani Hettige (JBV), Kavishka Guruge (JBV). 

Royal Panthers: Subath Gamage (Captain), Shalitha Jayawardena, Shahid Kuthbdeen, Innam Kuthbdeen, Rohana Jayawickrama, Minidu Alles, Thisila Herath, Lithum Karunasiri, Yasiru Prashan, Hashanthi Madugalle (BC), Sarah Daniel (BC), Lakmi Jayatilaka (BC). 

Royal Eagles: Rasanka Wijewardena (Captain), Punsara Aravinda, Ashok Peiris, Lithira Almeida, Falul Hallaj, Manuka Pawan, Senith Gajanayake, Stefan Anthonilpillai, Vidu Winesinghe, Seaadi Bamunusinghe (VV), Asanka Madhupani (VV), Gaya Wickramathunga (VV). 

Royal Rhinos: Ranil Sri Chandrasekara (Captain), Binu Paranawithana, Chamara Samarakoon, Mahesh Suranga, Muthusamy Ananthavel, Anojan, Niroshan Rathnayake, Yusuf Shihar, Akash Dashendra, Vinaya Perera (BC), Vinuri Dayarathne (VV), Onaya Kulatunga (BC). 

Royal Sharks: Santhush Silva (Captain), Mueen Masakeen, Siyath Rajakarunaratne, Nalaka Wijekoon, Heshan, Nesandu Edirimanne, Ruvi Perera, Pasindu Epa, Saumya Nethmini (JBV), Dilanka Maheshi (JBV), M.C.P. Perera (JBV).