Inter-Club Rugby League heats up

By Shamseer Jaleel

As the Inter-Club Rugby League 2024/25 enters its decisive phase, competition intensifies across both the Cup and Plate Championships. With teams vying for supremacy, each fixture carries significant implications for the final standings. 

The Plate segment, after its two matches in the Super Round of the competition, is fought between three teams – CH, Army, and Police – with Sri Lions, who are likely to end in fourth position, pushing, and the Sailors, who are without a single win, at the bottom of the table.

In the Plate Championship, CH & FC lead the table with 33 points after 10 matches, maintaining an edge over Army SC (24 points) from nine matches and Police SC (21 points), also from nine matches. Despite five losses, CH & FC’s consistency has kept them at the top, but with key matches remaining, the battle for Plate honours remains open between three teams. 

The team ending last in the Plate will not go further to take part in the Clifford Cup knockout tournament later next month in Kandy and Colombo.

Meanwhile, the Cup Championship is dominated by Kandy SC, who remained unbeaten after eight games, amassing 47 points. Their closest challengers, Havelock SC, trail by five points with a solitary defeat, while CR & FC remain in contention with 37 points, but are fading away. The upcoming fixtures are set to be pivotal, potentially reshaping the title race. The up-country outfit will be at a huge advantage, playing their last two Super Round games against CR & FC and Havies up at the Nittawela Rugby Stadium, expected to be a packed house. A key fixture this week sees Kandy SC making their final appearance in Colombo this season as they take on Air Force SC in Ratmalana. Air Force, currently fourth, will be aiming for an upset to strengthen their standing but it will be a miracle. In another crucial encounter, CR & FC will host Havelock SC at Longdon Place, a match that could have significant consequences for the Cup Championship standings. The case of a defeat to either side will put them out of contention for the League this year.

Coaching staff from each of the clubs are under severe pressure to keep their jobs intact for the next season. Though in Plate, CH, Army, and Police are too good of teams to be dropped out, Asela Deshapriya worked hard to get the Air Force in the Cup segment after 13 long years, which is commendable. Lewke, after winning the League last year for the Reds after a lapse of 26 years, will be under pressure to defend the title, while Saliya, who has done really well, will be wanting to win for the Park Club who has not tasted the League for a very long period of time. Kandy Head Coach Fazil Marija after missing out on the League last season, will not want to concede a single game during the Super Round as the pressure from supporters is more weight than any other in Kandy.

The high-intensity rugby will continue this weekend as well, with two Plate and two Cup encounters being worked off, all in Colombo.

With the League approaching its final stages, teams are under pressure to deliver. The coming weeks will determine whether Kandy SC can sustain their dominance or if challengers such as Havelock SC and CR & FC can disrupt their momentum. Rugby enthusiasts can expect high-intensity encounters as the competition moves towards its climax, with Kandy likely to dominate yet another season, piling up trophies at Nittawela commencing from 1994 when former Rajans and national player Indrajith Bandaranayake led the Kandy outfit 31 years ago to their first League win. Kandy has won the League most of the time starting from 1994 to 2024, though they failed to win a single trophy till 1994.