Saturday Feb 07, 2026
Saturday Feb 07, 2026
Monday, 29 December 2025 02:25 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
CR & FC produced a composed and ultimately emphatic performance to defeat Sri Lanka Police SC 46/22 in their Inter-Club Rugby League encounter worked off at Police Park last evening, overcoming a stern second-half challenge to seal a valuable bonus-point victory.
The Red Shirts ran in seven tries, added four conversions, and a penalty, while Police replied with two tries, a penalty try, a conversion, and a penalty.
At the short breather, the Reds led 17/3.
CR dominated the opening exchanges, asserting control through superior ball retention and territorial advantage. Their forwards laid a good foundation at the breakdown and set piece, allowing the backs to play with confidence and width as the visitors built early pressure into a steady flow of points.
CR’s ability to keep Police pinned inside their own half proved decisive in the first period, as the Red Shirts capitalised on space out wide and maintained discipline to carry a 14-point cushion into the interval. For CR, Chamod Muthunayake, Omalka Gunaratne, skipper Lasindu Karunathilake, and Viduna Amaneth played well.
Police, however, showed admirable resolve after the resumption and injected urgency into their play. The home side struck back with three quick tries, exploiting lapses in CR’s defensive structure to narrow the margin to just seven points and briefly swing momentum in their favour.
Faced with a genuine test, CR responded with maturity and composure. Drawing confidence from their first-half lead, the Red Shirts tightened their defensive lines, regained control at the breakdown, and punished Police indiscipline to wrest back command of the contest.
CR’s finishing proved the difference as the match wore on. Their ability to convert pressure into points saw them pull away decisively in the final quarter, securing a bonus point that underlined both their attacking depth and mental resilience under pressure.
The Red Shirts’ tries came through Chamod Muthunayake and Viduna Amaneth, who both crossed twice, along with Pasindu Bandara, Omalka Gunaratne and Thenuka Nanayakkara. Nanayakkara was accurate with the boot, converting four tries and adding a penalty. For Police SC, Pasindu Tharuka and Rukshan Madushanka crossed for tries, with Tharuka also landing a conversion and a penalty.
Referee Raveen Alexander officiated the match.
Meanwhile at Welisara, CH & FC continued their unbeaten run with a hard-earned 29/13 victory over Sri Lanka Navy Sports Club. Leading 12/3 at half time, CH showed defensive discipline and clinical finishing to score five tries and collect a bonus-point win in a match refereed by Jeewaka Fonseka. (SJ)
