CR to pose acid test for Kandy in 2018/19 season

The Ceylonese and Rugby Football Club, one of the oldest and distinguished rugby clubs in Sri Lanka, will be strong contenders for this year’s rugby crown as the Red Shirts will undoubtedly seek to emulate its glory days this upcoming season. 

CR will once again be led by crack Sri Lanka player Kavindu Perera with fellow Sri Lanka teammate and fly-half Tharindra Ratwatte acting as his deputy. 

The Red Shirts have gone in for a fine blend of youth and experience this season. Amongst its high powered signings are former Navy and Sri Lanka Hooker Dulanjana Wijesinghe and former Havelocks playmakers Rahul De Silva, Kevin Dickson and Shenal Dias. Scrum-half De Silva joins fellow Scrum-halfs, the experienced Kavindu Costa and schoolboy revelation Harith Bandara, which epitomises the strength and depth in quality the Longdon Place club boasts about this season.

The pack will be spearheaded and led by powerhouse No. 8 Omalka Gunaratne. Apart from the quality of Kavindu Perera, Ratwatte and Omalka, the Red Shirts will field seasoned campaigners in the form of Reyhan Silva, Reeza Raffaideen and Chanaka Chandimal. 

The Club has dug further deep into its resource base in signing on prized schoolboy prodigies Janidu Dilshan (Royal) and Gemunu Chethiya (St. Joseph’s) whilst former Patana Skipper Sumudu Rankothge will also be making his Club debut in Red this Season,

CR will be coached by Sri Lanka’s leading coach Nilufer Ibrahim, assisted by Anuranga Walpola. The Manager will be former CR flyer M. J. Mushtaq.

With such quality on offer, the Red Shirts are bound to come out all guns blazing in their season kick-off against traditional rivals CH and FC.