Proud Kandy rugby marches on
Kandy Sports Club continued their winning streak of the Clifford Cup for the 6th consecutive year with a close win over Havelocks Sports Club last week-end in the grand final.
This was Hill Country Club’s 18th occasion of keeping the Clifford Cup in Kandy. This is the only trophy Kandy won this year after they lost the custody of the League after l1 long years. Unlike last few years these victories and their road to success was not smooth as silk as wins were difficult to come by that too with closer margins and further teams like Havelocks, Navy SC and Up Country Lions SC closing the gap on the champion club (In the League) which is good for the game of rugby. Kandy SC’s winning streak started only in 1992 with the club re-vamping and getting back their original Kandy born players back in to their home town club.
Kandy team celebrating their victory. - Pic courtesy of SLRFU
Kandy Sports Club history of 137 years has had a very long and a hard journey over the years after it was found in 1874 by a group of expatriate coffee planters and others working in the plantations in and around Kandy, as the Kandy Athletic, Boating, Cricket, Football and Dancing Club. The name was changed to Kandy Sports Club, 14 years later in 1888, when the club also started playing rugby, hockey and polo. The home grounds was Bogambara grounds and it stayed thus until 1939 when the British Colonial Army took it over during the Second World War. Later it was turned over to the General Hospital to house their office. However Kandy SC continued to play rugby at Bogambara while there was no club house. In 1949 the Municipal Council released the ground area at Nittawela.
The Clifford Cup, the most prestigious trophy on offer in the inter club competition, has a proud history of 101 years. This cup was awarded by Lady Clifford, wife of the then Governor Sir Hugh Clifford for a match on her birthday, on August 26, 1911. This cup was first awarded for a game between All Ceylon and the Kandy United Services XV. During the First World War, the tournament was halted, and it was not restarted until 1926, that was when the Ceylonese first came into the fray and continued till 1939 when the Second World War stoppage came.
After 11 long years, in 1950 the Ceylon Rugby Football Union introduced the cup to the clubs, and the clubs which took part were Kandy SC, Dimbulla ACC, Dickoya MCC and Uva from Up-Country, CR & FC, CH & FC, Kelani Valley (KV) and Havelock SC.
Kandy Sports Club emerged as the team to beat in the 1990’s, switching the domination towards the hill capital. Kandy with 18 victories in the Clifford Cup are followed by CR & FC who have 13 wins, Havelocks 12, Police SC 8, CH & FC 6, Dimbulla and Army SC 2 each and Air Force 1.
This year Kandy SC met CR & FC in the quarter final’s of the Clifford Cup at Bogambara Stadium. Kandy won easily by a huge 83-5 and met Police SC in the semi finals and won 53-8. The playing conditions and the ball handling were difficult due to wet weather in the final; despite of this Kandy took sweet revenge from Havies for their League loss by beating them in Kandy 10-5 and settling matters.
In the end for 2012 the two clubs met on three occasions with Kandy winning twice and once by the Park Club.
Kandy Sports Club for 2012 comprises from the following.-Kishore Jehan, Achala Perera, Anura Walpola, Senaka Bandara, Dinesh Sanjeewa, Asitha Ratnayake, Roshan Weeraratne, Fazil Marija, Mohammed Jabbar, Pradeep Liyanage, Gayan Weeraratne, Tharindu Chanaka, Prasad Chathurange, Damith Dissanayake, Oshan Perera, Lavanka Perera, Shashika Jayawardena, Buddhika Thalagampola, Sean Wijesinghe, Rio Hema Latu, Heshan Silva, Saliya Kumara, Nuwan Hettiarachchi, Moses and Dhanushka Dayan.
Kandy Sports Club was sponsored by Etisalat, Singer Sri Lanka and Cargills with trustee Malik Samarawickrema carrying lot of financial burden on his shoulders. Malik who played for Royal as a scrum half from 1966-1968 later played for CR & FC. He is also the founder member of the Singer Sri Lankan Rugby Sevens which started in 1999. The club was coached by South African Johan Taylor. His record as far as the Clifford Cup is concerned is unbeatable. From the day he arrived in Kandy in 2007 Kandy have never lost it for the last 6 years.
The team was managed by former Isipathana and Sri Lankan ruggerite Kapila Silva and its rugby chairman was Lasantha Wijesooriya. They got ample support from Doctor Suraweera and Dr Asela who were available for all matches. Moby and Sivakumar assisted the team on fitness and other matters.
The last seven Clifford Cup winning Captains of Kandy SC were Jeewa Galgamuwa (2007), Sean Wijesinghe (2008), Pradeep Liyanagae (2009) and Fazil Marija (2010), Saliya Kumara (2011 & 2012).
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