Roy Denish appointed head rugby coach for California State University of Fullerton

Wednesday, 30 October 2019 01:52 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Former Peterson’s Sports Club Skipper Roy Denish has been appointed the rugby Head Coach for the California State University of Fullerton for its 2019-2020 campaign

The ex-captain, who played alongside his brothers Kisho and Collin at Peterson’s, incidentally becomes the first Sri Lankan to be named the Head Coach of a US university. He says his coaching knowledge came from his mentor Cicero de Fonseka, the former Sri Lankan and CH&FC center. He also praised the present SLRFU Deputy President Rizly Illiyas for his encouragement and support during his days at Peterson’s.

Jason Limon will captain the side for the 2019-2020 season. Rugby is the fastest-growing sport in the US right now with California at its forefront.

In a statement, Illiyas said: “My memory goes back to the ‘80s and ’90s of Petersons SC rugby’s ‘B’ and ‘A’ divisions. Just pinning my memories on my teammate and friend Roy Dinesh, I remember him being about 50 kg, 5’6’’ as a player. He best enjoyed playing at the full-back position. A full-back’s physique is usually large but the position still requires agility and speed. It’s important to have a full set of skills. Well, Roy was not at all large but he had skills and was an excellent player in attack with his sizzling runs which brought spectators to their feet and earned him the name Black Magic because of his style of play. On and off the field, Roy has great humour and is a very good teammate to have. I wish him success moving forward as a coach in his rugby career.”