Kandy SC win League for a record 21st time

Saturday, 11 December 2021 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Kandy SC skipper Nigel Ratwatte receiving his team award as the League champions from former SLRU President Lasitha Gunaratne

Kandy SC won the league for 2019 and 2020

By Shamseer Jaleel

Kandy Sports Club, the only Outstation Club to play ‘A’ division rugby, was considered as a pushover before the 1990’s. All the teams in the league loved to travel to Up-Country not only because of the cooler climate, but as it provided an opportunity to massacre the home team by an easy 50 plus score as well. It was also a holiday for the visiting teams which came to the Central Hills.

This all changed starting in 1992 with some of the Kandy-born players shifting to their home base due to some leadership appointment issues which cropped up at CR & FC, which resulted in more than seven leading players joining Kandy, plus three Fijians, Kiti, Bati, and Satala joining the Up-Country club from the Fiji Islands. This was the story of Kandy who started winning trophy-after-trophy in tandem. They first kept their hands for the Clifford Cup knock out win in 1992 under Maurice Joachim, and then two years later, under Indrajith Bandaranyake, they kept their hands on the League. That was it. Till 1992, though they were in existence for more than a century, they were never able to win a trophy. Winning is a habit for the Kandy SC as they accounted for the League for the 21st time under Nigel Ratwatte in 2019/2020 season.

Kandy SC as usual was a very organised club, and their administration team led by example. They were simply omnipresent. They were propped up by Cargills, who were their principal sponsors, and stood by the Up-Country team at a difficult time. The players, led by Nigel Ratwatte, were a professional lot, attending practices, gym sessions, and made fitness as their top priority. Their Rugby Chairman was the former Antonian rugby player Lasantha Wijesuriya, with Fazil Marija being the Head Coach of the unit. Former Isipathana forward, Viraj Prashanth was the Forward’s Coach. Another top-class rugby player from Isipathana, Kapila Silva was the Team Manager. Once again, the former Royal Scrum Half/Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) President Malik Samarawickrema was omnipresent, getting the much-needed sponsors on board, and supported the club at a difficult time period. Led by Mahesh Weerasinghe, their hard-working President and the committee supported their team on and off the field.

The squad for 2019/2020: Captain Nigel Ratwatte, Roshan Weeraratne, Gayan Jayawardena, Damith Dissanayake, Danushka Ranjan, Heshan Silva, Lavanga Perera, Oshan Perera, Tharinda Ratwatte, Danshka Dayan, Uchitha Jayasuriya, Lasitha Attanagoda, Tharindu Chathuranga, Yakoob Ali, Buwanaka Udangamuwa, Kavindu Perera, Jason Dissanayake, Shehan Pathirana, Srinath Sooriyabandara, Sayuru Anthony, Anuruddha Wilwara, Ganuka Dissanayake, Ashan Darling, Vishwamitra Jayasinghe, T.P.L. Ranaweera, Heshan Jansen, Malitha Rashmika, Lahiru Daulagala, W.S.K. Madushanka, R.L. Chandrarathne, Mohamed Shabeer, Tharaka de Silva, Diluksha Dange, Sanushka Abeywickrema, Charles Praveen, H.C.S. Perera, N.K.B. Priyarathne, Kavishka Lakshan, Rex Yashwanth, Thilina Bandara and Bawantha Udangamuwa.