Inter Club Rugby Football : Kandy SC blend youth and experience

Monday, 27 October 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Kandy Sports Club will be out on a mission this season. They will be all out to claim both the trophies on offer this year. That is the Inter club league and the Clifford Cup knock-out trophies. This time around they will be led by former Trinitian, Sri Lanka fifteens skipper Sean Wijesinghe. They will have a tough first round with five games away and three home matches. Kandy SC won the triple crowns in 1995, 1997, 1999 and from 2002 to 2009. They won the League title for 12 consecutive years and won 18 Clifford Cup trophies. For the record, Kandy SC winning streak started only in 1992 after completing 100 years in existence of the club. From this year onwards they have won 17 league titles within a space of 22 years which is a unique record for any local rugby club. Kandy SC’s revival started when Kandy Born Imthisam Marrikar was overlooked for leadership over Lashitha Gunaratne at CR&FC. A few Kandy born players along with some top end Colombo players shifted to Kandy to show support to Imthisam Marrikar. The full support was given by rugby promoter and former Royal and CR&FC Scrum Half Malik Samarawickrema, who has been the life wire for Kandy rugby for the last 22 years. In short if not for Malik, Kandy would have been at the receiving end till now beaten by all teams and ending on the bottom of the table. He not only set up his garment factories in the Central Province but also gave thousands of jobs which included some rugby players as well. After continued success from 1992 to 2012 Kandy lost its grip in local rugby. A few reasons could be the reason with the top one being on their part due to “too many cooks spoiling the soup” as they had nearly three coaching staff changing the whole season and lot of funds being put in to their services. This year’s start was good with a warm up game against Police SC last weekend with Kandy winning it 43/7 minus 4 of their regular back division players further the forwards showed lot of promise which Kandy SC lacking for a long time. Kandy SC is also not happy with the way the draw was done this year. As Kandy were in the top three their games against Navy SC and Havelocks SC should be the last two. But to unknown reason that is not the case. Yet the governing body (SLRFU) is yet to get back with only one week away from the League kick off. Kandy SC will have some outstanding players in their rank. Their forwards will be led by ever-reliable Sean Wijesinghe with good backing from Asitha Ratnayake and Shashika Jayawardena with two overseas players coming in to add power to the top eight. They will have Fijian Eroni Gadola with South African Chris Cloete who could either play as a Flanker or Number 8. Both Saliya Kumara and Roshan Weeraratne will be eying for scrum half position with their vast experience in club and national rugby. Saliya also could fit in as the full back of the side. Back division is the Sri Lankan three quarter line. They have some stars what Kandy would expect is a better coordination and understanding between them. A player could walk in to any Asian Side in the caliber of Fazil Marija, Gayan Weeraratne, Pradeep Liyanage are in top form as at now. Another player for Sri Lanka this year being Anurudha Wilwara showing his class in the recently concluded tournaments in Hong Kong, Malaysia and South Korea. He will have full support from Lavanga Perera who will take charge the other wing. Full backs position will be taken over by Nigel Ratwatte and the other South African player Quinton Crocker who is also a reliable place kicker could man the last line of defense. Kandy SC will have Nigel Ratwatte, Arshard Jamaldeen, Fauzul Rahuman and Buwanka Udangamuwa as their new players signed up this season. They have got their South African born Johan Taylor who will be their Head Coach this year. He coached Kandy Sports Club for six years in tandem and guided them to win both the knock out and league title for five years and the rugby double eluded them in the 2012 rugby season. During his initial tenure at Kandy Sports Club, they won the 2007 League Championship, captured the Clifford Cup and defeated all teams in 2007. In the first year Kandy SC became unbeaten Champions and Triple champions, the following two years in 2008 and 2009 the club were rugby Champions winning all trophies awarded by the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU). In 2010 and 2011 although they lost a few games, still continued to be the Rugby League Champions and winners of the Clifford Cup. In his last year in 2012 was a testing period for the club as the SLRFU introduced overseas players for all ‘A’ Division clubs and local players trading also became a setback for Kandy Sports club. Kandy lost its league but held on to the Clifford Cup. Johan Taylor’s coming back was possible due to the talk held with him and Kandy SC patron and rugby promoter in the country Malik Samarawickrema. Malik played for Royal as a Scrum Half. Props: Dimitri Wijetunga, Piyumal Manchanayake, Kishore Jehan Hookers: Damith Dassanayake, Uchita Jayasuriya Second Row: Gayan Ratnayake, Sashika Jayawardena, Dinuka Perera Flankers: Sean Wijesinghe, Asitha Ratnayake, Tharindu Chaturanga Number 8: Eroni Gadola, Chris Cloete Scrum Halves: Roshan Weeraratne, Saliya Kumara Fly Halves: Fazil Marija, Arshad Jamaldeen, Damien Ratwatte Centres: Gayan Weeraratne, Pradeep Liyanage, Buvaneka Udangamuwa Winger: Anuruddha Wilwara, Oshan Perera, Lavanga Perera, Darshana Ettipola Fullbacks: Nigel Ratwatte, Quinton Crocker Head Coach: Johan Taylor Team Manager: Kapila Silva Rugby Chairman: Lasantha Wijesuriya