Asanka Rodrigo to continue with Police SC

By Shamseer Jaleel

Asanka Rodrigo

Former Royal, CR & FC, CH & FC and National sevens and fifteens player Asanka Rodrigo will continue with the Police Sports Club for 2020/2021 as their Head Coach.

Asanka who started his playing career at the Reid Avenue outfit at Under-13 level, played in all age groups till Under-19. He won his rugby colors at Royal College in 1994 and toured with the Junior National outfit the same year to Taipei. 

He represented CR & FC from 1994 to 1997 and then again from 1999 to 2007. Briefly in 1998 he played for the CH & FC outfit. He represented the national team at both formats of the game leading the outfit in 2002. He toured all the Asian countries who were playing rugby during his era with a record 5 appearances at the famous Hong Kong Rugby Sevens which started in 1976. 

He toured Hong Kong in 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000 and 2002 while also touring the Northern Territory, Japan Sevens and Dubai Sevens. During his playing days he was a master reader of the game and was seemingly never under pressure. His touch and long kicks were a treat to watch for the rugby fans in the country.

He started off his coaching career at Royal with the Under-17 outfit. From there, he shifted to Thurstan (Under-19), St. Thomas (Under-12) and Royal (Under-12, 14 and 16). He got his major break as the Assistant coach at Royal in 2010. He held similar roles at the Joes and Thomians Under-19 outfits. 

At the Mercantile Sevens he coached MAS Holdings, Brandix, JK Holdings, Dialog, Hong Kong Bank, Millennium IT. At the Carlton Sevens he was the deputy coach at Sabaragamuwa Stallions in 2011/12 and Southern Sharks in 2013/2014. He also was in charge of the Etisalat Panthers at the Carlton Sevens in 2016/2017. 

He took over Police outfit in 2019 and guided the young outfit with much confidence and assurance to the golden era of Cops rugby during the late 80’s and early 90s where they dictated terms in club rugby in Sri Lanka. 

Asanka is an IRB (International Rugby Board) certified coach in coaching level 1 and 2 and World Rugby coaching level 1 and 2 in the fifteens, plus World Rugby level 1 qualified in sevens.