Friday Sep 18, 2026
Friday Sep 18, 2026
Friday, 10 July 2026 00:06 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
From left: Kingswood College Captain Sachintha Naveesha, Joint Committee Chairman Deminthe Dahanayake, Kingswood College Old Boys’ Union President Dr. Muditha Abeykoon, Kingswood College Principal Dhammika Herath, Wesley College Principal Avanka Fernando, Rugby Committee Chairman Imtiaz Iqbal, Joint Committee Chairman Maithri Vithanage, and Wesley College Captain Kaizer Lye
A time-tested Methodist brotherhood of over 125 years between Kingswood College, Kandy, and Wesley College, Colombo, will come to life with the celebration of the 40th edition of the Blaze Trophy on 18 July at the Nittawela Rugby Stadium.
Celebrating its Rugby Anniversary this year, the Blaze Trophy was inaugurated in 1986 with Ronnie Ibrahim (Kingswood College) and Sumedha Kuruppu (Wesley College) leading the two schools at the inaugural encounter, which is played in honour of the man who introduced Rugby to Ceylon – Louis Edmund Blaze – the founding forefather of Kingswood College who changed the course of sports in the island nation with the introduction of the oval ball game.
The trophy was donated by Roy De Silva, a prominent gentleman of Kingswood and former Asian Olympic Committee Chairman.
From iconic playmakers in the likes of Nalaka/Eranda Weerakkody, Amjad Buksh, Fazil Marija to Dev Anand and Kishan Musafer, Zulfikar Haleemdeen, Henry Terence, Rahul de Silva, and many more, the Blaze Trophy has seen some unforgettable moments and is truly a classic rivalry.
A press conference was held on 8 July at the iconic 128-year old Wesley College Pavilion at Campbell Park to formally kick off the Blaze Trophy stepping into a new era.
Sachintha Naweesha (Kingswood College) and Kaizer Lye (Wesley College) lead the two teams this year. Both teams possess a strong line-up. Wesley finished the Cup segment race with much to offer but could have done better given their potential. Kingswood, who were rejuvenated mid-season, almost tasted Bowl Championship glory but ended the season on a sombre note. However, both teams will be eyeing the silverware on offer and finishing their 2026 season on a high.
Kingswood College carries the rare honour as the school which introduced rugby to Sri Lanka in 1891. In 1906, the first match ever between two schools in Sri Lanka was played between Kingswood and Trinity College. Wesley started rugby in 1956 under Eddie Buell.
Wesley are the holders of the prestigious Blaze Trophy after setting a record fourth win in a row for the first time in their rugby history last year. Kingswood last lifted the cup in 2019 and are eagerly looking to break the seven-year hoodoo. However, it must be noted that Kingswood dominate the series tally with 23 wins, whilst Wesley have won 10 with four drawn encounters.
The Blaze Trophy in all its glory on reaching the 40th year is set to be an exciting 70 minutes of fast open rugby, with both schools playing for glory in their last game of the season. Junior matches will kick-start from 1 p.m. onwards, with the much-anticipated 1st XV game at 4:15 p.m.
The junior matches will be contested for:
