Clifford Cup kicks off today 

By Shamseer Jaleel 

Dark horses for the tournament CR&FC will be up against the gutsy Soldiers in the first quarter final encounter at the Race Course rugby grounds today. The kick off is scheduled for 4:15 p.m.

League champions and defending Clifford Cup champions Kandy Sports Club will be up against CH&FC tomorrow at the Nittawela Rugby Stadium when they defend their Clifford Cup. The third quarter final will be between the second-placed league outfit Havies and the Air Force outfit. The last quarter final will be played on Monday (14 March) between the Police and Navy. Earlier this game was scheduled for 13 March later on postponed  due to the funeral of late Mahanayake Thero of the Asgiriya Chapter.

Kandy Sports Club who won the league 17 times in 22 years will be the firm favourites to lift this Cup which has got a history of more than 100 years. Clifford Cup is the most prestigious club rugby knockout tournament in Sri Lanka which commenced in 1911 and has been played continuously since 1950. The tournament began as a competition between the mercantile executives in Colombo and planters in the hill country. The origination of the Clifford Cup was in 1911 when Lady Elizabeth Clifford (the wife of the acting Governor of Ceylon Sir Hugh Clifford) donated the trophy.

Kandy Sports Club has won the Clifford Cup for a record 19 times, including a consecutive period of ten years between 1995 and 2005 (the competition was not held in 1998) and six consecutive years between 2007 and 2012. In 2006, Kandy SC and Navy SC both withdrew from the tournament (Kandy due to a dispute over the ground allocation and Navy as their members were called for national service duty). The Cup was won by the CR&FC. The Red Shirts have won 14 times followed by Havelocks SC (13), Police SC (8), CH&FC ( 7),  Dimbulla A & CC (2) while Air Force SC and Navy SC have won the cup once each.