Trinity clinches Central Province Schools Sevens 2021

Kingswood College rugby team was voted in as the most popular rugby team at the inaugural Dialog Schools Rugby 7s Central Province tournament. Here, Kingswood College rugby team skipper Dinal Ekanayake is holding the Dialog Schools Rugby 7s Most Popular Team – Central Province award. Others from left are SLSRFA Secy. Nirodha Wijerama, Dialog Axiata Regional Operations District Manager – Kandy Chamika Balasuriya, Dialog Axiata Regional Operations Senior Regional Manager Central Himal Egodawatta, SLSRFA Tournament Committee Chairman Buddika Attanayaka and SLSRFA Treasurer Damitha Perera 

Trinity College – Kandy emerged Cup Champs of the inaugural Dialog Schools Rugby 7s Central Province tourney by beating hometown rivals Kingswood College – Kandy 33-7 at the Pallekele Rugby Stadium – Kandy. 

From left: SLSRFA Secy. Nirodha Wijerama, Dialog Axiata Regional Operations District Manager – Kandy Chamika Balasuriya, Dialog Axiata Regional Operations Senior Regional Manager Central Himal Egodawatta, SLSRFA Tournament Committee Chairman Buddika Attanayaka and SLSRFA Treasurer Damitha Perera 

By Shamzeer Jaleel

Trinity College proved that they are a class apart from the rest in the shorter version of the game when they handed off Kingswood College 33-7 at the Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association (SSRFA)-conducted Under-19 Inter Schools Rugby Sevens 2021 for the Central Province (CP), which took place at their schools’ Rugby Stadium in Pallekelle yesterday.

Trinity, after accumulating 131 points in their three group encounters, entered the final with the Randles Hill School with lot of expectations. But the start was not so good for the Trinitians as Kingswoodian Ishara Ekanayake covered nearly 70 meters untouched to score their first try. Trinity never panicked. They re-grouped and played like real champions. They scored their first try through Trevin Karunanayake. Thamuditha Dodanwatte added the extras to level the scores at seven-a-piece. Dodanwatte touched down the Trinitians’ second try. Ravindu Wickremasinghe, who had an outstanding tournament added the extras. Trinity took the ‘lemons’ at 14-7 in their favor.

After the turnaround, Trinity continued their good work with tries through Wickremasinghe, Dodanwatte and Dharmapala. Dodanwatte converted two of them to secure an easy 33-7 win to win the Central Province Cup event. It was refereed by Ishanka Abeykoon.

Ravindu Wickremasinghe was the player of the tournament.

Sri Rahula (Shield), Vidyartha (Bowl) and Dharmaraja (Plate) accounted for the other trophies on offer.

Group matches results:

nTrinity beat Sri Rahula 52-0

nDharmaraja beat St. Anthony’s 21-17 

nKingswood beat St. Sylvester’s 26-14 

nSri Sumangala beat Vidyartha 24-19 

nTrinity beat Dharmaraja 32-19 

nSt. Anthony’s beat Sri Rahula 26-14 

nKingswood beat Sri Sumangala 43-0 

nVidyartha beat St. Sylvester’s 29-7 

nTrinity beat St. Anthony’s 47-0

nDharmaraja beat Sri Rahula 29-10 

nKingswood beat Vidyartha 38-10

nSri Sumangala beat St. Sylvester’s 34-5

Shield final: Sri Rahula beat St. Sylvester’s 26-10

Bowl final: Vidyartha beat St. Anthony’s 21-12

Plate final: Dharmaraja beat Sri Sumangala 26-14

Cup final: Trinity beat Kingswood 33-7