Vidura ready to tackle school rugby challenge
View(s):Vidura College Colombo, who are making a gradual impact in the schools’ sports arena, adopted rugby as their newest sport. This 
development was initiated by two Pereras who proved to be handy rugby players during their school career. The men behind the promoting this full-contact sport at Vidura are none other than Dulanjan Perera and Ishara Perera, who played for Isipathana College and Royal College respectively.
“With great difficulty and so many obstacles the game of rugby was introduced to Vidura in March 2010. Today rugby has become part of our annual sports calendar. The school is ever thankful for the two men on the scene, Dunajan and Ishara, for transforming a bunch 
of total newcomers into a challenging outfit,” Upali de Silva, Manager Sports of Vidura College stated.
In 2010, Vidura College as absolute freshers, entered competitive rugby by fielding two teams in the Under-15 and Under-17 age categories. They played a series of 
friendly games against rugby-playing schools and junior academies. They also played against the junior rugby academies of CR&FC, CH&FC and Havelocks in addition to playing friendly games against C.W.W. Kannangara Maha Vidyalaya, Mahanama College and Isipathana College to name a few. In all these outings the Vidura ruggerites fared well despite just entering the sport.
“Our boys played well as beginners. These matches were attended well by other 
students of the school who later joined our rugby squads. By 2011 our students were well groomed for competitions after playing more friendly games,” De Silva added.
In 2011, the Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association was pleased with their preparations, performances and improving standards and gave them the green light to compete. Vidura College, who were enrolled as a member of Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association, later played alongside top teams like Wesley, Ananda, 
Nalanda and Mahanama colleges to prepare themselves for the Schools Under 16 12-a-side tournament played at Kurunegala.
“Appearing for the first time in a tournament, we fared well as a unit. At present we have nearly 40 players in our 
Under-16 rugby squad. The boys are practicing hard for the upcoming Under-18 and Under-16 12-a-side tournaments which will be held in Nawalapitiya and Kurunegala in September. We wouldn’t have come this far in such a short period if not for the ardent support of our principal D.G. Sumanasekara and Indu Sumanasekara, the managing director, who are keen to make rugby one of the leading sports at Vidura,” De Silva went on to say.
The present Vidura rugby squad is led by Jayapurna Fernando who has the assistance of P.N.H. Fernando as the deputy skipper. Others in the squad who represent Vidura are C.P. Fernando, Hansaka Karunaratne, Kalhara Fernando, Tharindu Thrimavithana, Dinith Dissanayake, Aquil Nizam, Kavisha Wijeratne, Indula Kumara, Nipuna Fernando, N.K. Gamage, Bindu Arachchige, H.B. Ekanayaka, V.V. Vithana, Ravindu Pieris, Dinura Wijayaratne, Udayaratne Fernando, P.V. Liyanage, N.N. Kandawinna, M.B. Gunaratne, Viran Dodangoda, S.A. Dambutuarachchi, S.N. Adikari, N.R. Samarasekara and K.N. Ranwella.
– Naushad Amit
 P.N.H. Fernando |
 Jayapurna Fernando |
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