Clifford Cup to be worked off this month
The inter club knock rugby encounter for the Clifford Cup will be worked off from September 28-30 and two likely venues being Kandy (Bogambara Stadium) and Colombo (Havelock Park). Havelocks SC, Kandy SC, Navy SC and Upcountry Lions have already qualified from the Cup segment while from Plate segment Army SC, Police SC, Air force SC and CR & FC have already got their bookings in one of the oldest rugby tournaments in the country which is 101 years old.
The Clifford Cup tourney this year will have a lot of promise
For the first time in history CH & FC will miss out the knockout tournament as they are yet to win a solitary game and placed last with only one more outing against their traditional rivals CR & FC to come their way.Speaking to the Sunday Times, secretary of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) Rizly Ilyas said “With Dialog coming in as the official sponsor and giving us more than 30 Million for rugby, we must respect their decision on the venues. Both the venues are very well maintained with world class facilities for players, spectators and media. Dialog will also get a good mileage for their sponsorship,” Ilyas said while adding that this will be an ideal finish for the rugby season where three top teams where on the run for the trophy till the last two weeks of the league competition.
Havelocks SC who won the League after 31 years should hold the edge, hosting the Colombo games. This Clifford Cup was first offered by Lady Clifford in 1911, the cup to be played for honour on her birthday. This trophy which is 101 years old was with CPRFU until 1950 when the Central Province Rugby Football Union (CPRFU) opened the competition to all the clubs in the country. In the initial years CR & FC and Havelocks SC dominated the proceedings.
Kandy SC are the defending champions of the competition. They beat Navy SC in a thrilling final which was worked off at the Royal Sports Complex in Colombo by 17-16. Kandy SC first won the Clifford Cup in 1992 with the revamping of the club. Kandy (17), CR & FC (13), Havelocks SC (12), Police SC (8), Army SC (8) and CH & FC (8) have won the trophy on most number of occasions.
Likely Quarter final line up for the Clifford Cup as follows
Sept 28: Havelocks SC vs Air Force (1)
Sept 29: Kandy SC vs CR & FC (2)
Sept 29: Navy SC vs Police SC (3)
Sept 30: Upcountry Lions vs Army SC (4)
Semi-finals
Oct 3: Winner of (1) Vs Winner of (4)
Oct 4: Winner of (2) Vs Winner of (3)
Oct 7: Final at Havelock Park
Past winners – 1950 and 1951 (Havelocks), 1952 (CR and FC), 1953 (Dimbula), 1954 to 1956 (CR and FC), 1957 (CH and FC), 1958 (CR and FC), 1959 (CR and FC/ Dimbula) 1960 (CH and FC), 1961 (Havelocks), 1962 (CH and FC), 1963 and 1964 (Havelocks), 1965 and 1966 (CR and FC), 1967 and 1968 (Havelocks), 1969 (CR and FC), 1970 (Police/ Havelocks) 1971 (CR and FC), 1972 Police), 1973 (Army/ Police), 1974 (Havelocks), 1975 (Army), 1976 to 1978 (Havelocks), 1979 and 1980 (Police), 1981 (Havelocks), 1982 and 1983 (CH and FC), 1984 and 1985 (Police), 1986 (Air Force), 1987 to 1989 (CR and FC), 1990 (CH and FC), 1991 (Police), 1992 and 1993 (Kandy SC), 1994 (CH and FC), 1995 to 1997 (Kandy SC), 1998 (no tournament) 1999 to 2005 (Kandy SC), 2006 (CR and FC), 2007 to 2011 (Kandy SC).
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