Trinity secure League, ultimate goal is Bradby

By Shamseer Jaleel

Trinity College’s Under-19 rugby outfit, led by the resolute and inspirational skipper, Safraz Usmaan etched their names in history by clinching the 2025 Schools Under-19 Rugby League Championship, ending a drought that had lasted since 1987. The Lions not only secured the title but did so with an unbeaten record, mirroring the achievements of the legendary, Tyrel Rajapakse led 1987 outfit.

The 2025 season was one of dominance and consistency for Trinity. Playing five of their matches at their fortress in Pallekele, they delivered a brand of rugby that combined physicality, skill, and tactical discipline. Now that they got the bonus through League and Canon de Seram wins the ultimate aim for the Lions is to keep the Bradby Shield in Kandy for yet another year.

They opened their campaign in the League with a confident 49/15 win over Sumangala setting the tone for what was to come. The early momentum grew with a 74/14 demolition of Vidyartha, followed by 48/19 win over Thurstan. Trinity showed their defensive steel in a 29/7 win over Joes before producing a statement performance against Royal winning 34/12.

Coming as group leaders in to Super Round Lions brushed aside Thomians 36/19 to retain the Canon R.S. De Seram Trophy, overcame defending knockout champions, Isipathana 32/10, and sealed the title with a hard-fought 23/21 win over second placed Wesley in a nail-biter but never in danger of losing at Pallekele in their last outing.

Their final match against St. Peter’s on 10 August will be played with the League already secured. They will take no teams easy as the Deshamanya Dennis Perera trophy is at Bambalapitiya for a longer period and they would like to have it in Central Hills.

The 1987 side under Rajapakse was equally remarkable, playing in a time when a try was worth four points. They beat Thurstan 34/0, Isipathana 15/6, Ananda 14/3, St. Anthony’s 47/0, St. Joseph’s 56/0, S. Thomas’ 52/9, St. Peter’s 11/3 and Royal twice 7/3 in Kandy and 19/3 in Colombo conceding only one try the whole season. Tyrel side also won the then R Premadasa Knockout trophy.

In 2025, skipper, Usmaan was ably supported by a core of standouts including Manusha Silva, Udan Wijekoon, Shan Althaf, Nisith Kumarasinghe, Abdul Malik, Hamza Abdeen, Sadeesha Weerawansa, Ammar Manzil and Minula Yaddehige. Several freshers also stepped up, delivering impressive performances in their debut season in the Red, Gold and Blue jersey.

Head Coach Fazil Marija played a pivotal role in moulding this team into a championship-winning unit. His philosophy of bridging the speed and fluidity gap between the three-quarters and forwards was executed to perfection.

He was supported by Forwards Coach Viraj Prashanth who refined the Lions’ attacking structure, and Sanushka Abeywickrema along with Lasith Attanagoda who handled positional and tactical aspects along with Danushka Ranjan. Tharaka Algama ensured the players maintained peak physical conditioning, while Kapila Silva managed the side with a firm hand. Master in Charge was Kanchana Galagoda working around the clock to put things in order for the lads while experienced Mobby Perera was the masseur of the outfit.

The school’s Principal Father Araliya Jayasundera, himself an Old Boy, provided unwavering support alongside a dedicated administrative team, fostering the environment necessary for such a long-awaited triumph.

This campaign was built not just on skill but also on depth, preparation, and the mental strength to handle high-pressure moments particularly evident in the tense win over Wesley that sealed the championship.

This Lions’ 2025 victory will be remembered as the season when belief, hard work, and unity converged to bring the coveted League Trophy back to Pallekele. For Trinity players, coaching staff and supporters this is just silverware as they will be aiming to secure the Bradby Shield which is the ultimate goal in their two leg encounters on 23 August at Pallekele and 6 September in Colombo.